Day 1:

8:40 am – Grab my scooter and I’m ready to roll out the door.

8:45 am – Wait for the bus. ‘Will the ramp work this time? Will the driver yell at me again because my scooter doesn’t fit in the spot it’s “supposed to”? Will I get dirty looks again when people have to stand because my scooter takes up 2 spots?’

9:00 am – Arrive on campus and make my way to my first class. Hop the large cracks in the pavement. ‘Don’t trip, don’t trip, watch where you’re going, don’t trip.’

9:20 am – Almost time for class to start. Sit in the front row (again) because there are stairs to all the other seats. ‘Sitting solo again. Awkward amount of eye contact with the professor: do they know I don’t really love sitting in the front row?’

9:30 am – We’re going outdoors… ‘Will we be somewhere with a large hill? Rough terrain? Stairs??? Will I have to sit on the sidelines again? Will everyone think I’m lazy for not participating or carrying enough equipment? Will the professor think I’m lazy? How will this affect my grade? …’

The first “typical” day listed is one of worry, isolation, and anxiety for me and many people with disabilities in higher ed institutions. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Day 2:

8:40 am – Grab my scooter and I’m ready to roll out the door.

8:45 am – Ride my scooter happily on a fully accessible bus (for now this is just a dream).

9:00 am – Smoothly roll to my next class where there are ramps to all seats ‘I think my friends are sitting in the 3rd row today. I have to show them a picture of my roommate’s dog before class starts!’

9:30 am – We’re going outdoors! ‘I know this professor can accommodate my needs! I know whatever challenges I might encounter they’ll help me get past and they won’t think I’m lazy for needed the help. I can’t wait to be included and maybe learn an activity I can do with my future students! This is going to be a blast!’ (photo below: me on the left participating in a prescribed burn with a student organization)

As a University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (UWSP) student and full-time mobility aid user I have experienced both of these days (minus the fully accessible bus). Here’s a little more about me:

The “scooter” I refer to is a knee scooter that I use permanently. I have limited use of one of my legs (ambulatory scooter user) and began using a scooter last year after years of crutches, canes, and boots. It has been an amazing change and lets me do more of what I love, but there are still challenges day-to-day.

I am a senior studying environmental education at UWSP. I transferred to UWSP in the Fall of 2017 and before that I took many natural resources courses at a Technical College in Appleton, WI. The experiences I listed above are not necessarily from any specific day I had at either institution, but rather a generalization of “typical” days that I have encountered during my time in higher education.

The first “typical” day listed is one of worry, isolation, and anxiety for me and many people with disabilities in higher ed institutions. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The second day is one that I’ve been so lucky to have many of during my time here at UWSP thanks to some amazing professors (shout out to Becca Franzen, Kendra Liddicoat, and Brenda Lackey!) and staff. Knowing that the faculty are willing to work with me and won’t judge me for my limitations takes so much of the burden off and allows me to just be a student like everyone else who wants to learn and grow and become a better educator.

All of us play a role in making our higher education campuses more inclusive both physically, but also in our language and culture. What can you do to include people of all abilities at your site?

If you want to find out more about my experiences and learn some ways you can help your site be more accessible and inclusive check out my presentations at the following conferences!

• Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE) Winter Workshop: January 18-20, 2019 at Treehaven in Tomahawk, WI http://www.waee.org/winter-workshop
• Heartland Region National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Conference: March 20-23, 2019 in Stevens Point, WI https://naiheartlandregion.weebly.com/2019-wisconsin.html

I also welcome you to contact me directly if you’d like to talk more!

Julie Dickson

jdick850@uwsp.edu