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Disability in a Diverse Society:
unique study abroad program debuts in Dublin

Editor’s note: A new Office of Study Abroad program debuted in Dublin, Ireland, in June. Disability in a Diverse Society, offered in collaboration with the Office of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in the College of Education and the Resource

Center for Persons with Disabilities, was designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to increase awareness of, sensitivity to and understanding of various aspects of disability in the United States and abroad.

The program included both students with and without disabilities who have an interest in disability studies. They were able to explore their own attitudes and beliefs about persons with disabilities through formal instruction as well as via a service-learning component.

Through a grant from the Institute for Study Abroad Foundation and a Quality Fund allocation from the Office of the Provost, MSU was able to provide participants with necessary accommodation without having to pass those costs along to the students.

Following are reflections from Cindy Chalou, associate director of the Office of Study Abroad, who spent a week accompanying the program.

Chalou

I had the opportunity to join the Disability in a Diverse Society program for one week this summer, arriving on June 17 and leaving on June 23. I attended three classes, including one given by a local visiting lecturer; participated in a field trip to the Daughters of Charity facilities for the intellectually disabled; went on an outing to partake of afternoon tea with six of the students; and did some sightseeing in Dublin, where we visited the Book of Kells, Christ Church Cathedral and the National Gallery, along with general city center touring.

The program visit was unlike any that I have made before.

Through the students and their experiences, I was introduced to the kinds of challenges they face, not only at home but particularly when traveling abroad.

Photo by Val Nilson/ Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities Disability in a Diverse Society program participants visit the Molly Malone statue, a Dublin landmark in honor of the fictional 17th-century fishmonger in the famed Irish song “Cockles and Mussels.”

Faculty leaders reminded me of the meticulous coordination, attention to detail and empathy required to run such a program.
Perhaps most importantly, in the brief time I was with them, I learned about the stamina, tenacity and courage – coupled with the sense of humor needed to overcome, as well as to accept, the challenges of dealing with a variety of disabilities in a study abroad context – exhibited by some incredible students.

Since my return, I have thought back many times to my experiences with the program.

I find that I already am more observant of accessibility issues both here at MSU and in the larger community. Although I was on-site for only one week, my participation had precisely the impact that program organizers hope it will have on the students who are there for the full month: to prepare all participants for a more diverse academic and work environment and to make them better global citizens; to provide participants with opportunities to explore their own attitudes and beliefs about persons with disabilities; and, finally, to positively impact the lives of participants without disabilities who can, in turn, influence those individuals they encounter in their future careers and personal lives.

Photo by Val Nilson/ Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities Students participate in a session at The Learning Network, a resource center in Dublin, where persons with disabilities can gain job skills. Standing at the right is one of two sign language interpreters who accompanied the program.

The program’s faculty leaders, Val Nilson and Mike Leahy, deserve recognition for their incredible coordination, dedication, attention to detail and support of program participants. This is a truly unique study abroad program, and it’s been a team effort from the very beginning.

In a note he sent back to the Office of Study Abroad, Leahy summed up why the program worked so well within a study abroad context: “For this project, the entire Irish landscape has served as the extended classroom for the course and provided a rich experience for the students and faculty that could not be duplicated on our own campus.”

At MSU, we are laying a foundation for future programs, both here and at other institutions, that may venture into this relatively unexplored area.

More information on the Disability in a Diverse Society program can be found at: studyabroad.msu.edu/programs/iredisability.html