0 0 0 0 1 IBy Jenna SkollerPhoto illustration by Jed Moch There are1,240 students on campus with disabilities - the majority of which are unseen. For these students, among life's struggles is making do while few oth ers know you're sick. L SA junior Claire Abraham has been in a wheelchair since she was four. At 18 months, Abraham was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy - a neuromuscular disease that essential- ly breaks down her motor neurons and weakens her muscles, severely limiting her ability to move on her own. Despite these limita- tions, Abraham is now in her third year at the University, living in a residence hall on Central Campus. Though Abraham is quite capable of living on her own, it hasn't always been that way. For her first two years at the University, Abraham com- muted to Ann Arbor each day with her mother, Stacy Abraham, who helped her adjust to life as a college student with a disability. The Abrahams said that, in her three years on campus, Claire hasn't encountered much adversity, and that stu- dents have generally been glad to help - they will assist Claire by pushing buttons she can't reach or isn't strong enough to push and will open doors for her. Some students will, however, when in a hurry, leta door slam into Claire or only open one door, leaving her in a vestibule unable to get through the second door. "But for the most part, a lot of people are very aware of her chair and they'll try to go out of their way or (apologize) if, they didn't notice to get the door for her," Stacey" Abraham said. Though Abraham's experience is often what people think of when it comes to those with disabilities, there is a larger group of disabled students on campus who deal with similar struggles but of a completely different nature. For these individuals, whose disabilities are considered invisible' - those that aren't first apparent to the general observer - the struggle lies not only in cop- ing with their disabilities, but doing so in a world that doesn't . know they're sick. Stuart Segal, ; interim director of Services for Students with Disabilities - a University orga- nization that offers assistance to students with various types of disabilities - said there are 1,240 students currently registered with SSWD. The majority of these students, however, aren't vis- ibly disabled. They have invisible disabilities - mental and chronic health conditions, traumatic brain injuries, pervasive development disabilities like Asperger's syndrome and visual and hearing impairments. And though the majority of students registered with SSWD have invisible disabilities, to the University community these may appear less common simply because they are unseen. Though Abraham says she has been well received and accommodated while at the Universi- ty, many students registered with SSWD who have invisible disabilities shared different opinions. Many expressed feelings of isolation and stressed that further efforts need to be taken - like peer support groups or mentorships - to improve the experience of students on campus with invisible disabilities. Others said, how- ever, that what truly needs to be done is to increase awareness for stu- dents with all types of disabilities, not just visible ones. LSA sophomore Candyce Hill suffers from albinism, a disease that results from a lack of melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair. For some, albinism can be a visible disability, but for Hill, the disease is invisible. The albinism significantly affects Hill's eyesight and her ability to read small print, but to the University, Hill simply looks like she has blonde hair and fair skin. "I think the problem is that when (someone) looks at a disability that you can see - someone walking on crutches or someone who's completely blind - then it's almost as if they know that they have to be sensitive and they really don't have a choice," Hill said. "Butwhenit's notsomethingyou can notice right away - and in fact if they never told you, you might never know - it's almost like they get the sense that it can't be that bad." When Beth Becker began her masters pro- gram at the University in 2006, her pri- mary concern was, like most, academic success. But less than a year after moving to Ann Arbor, Becker was diagnosed with an uncommon, yet severe, disorder called Wegener's granuloma- tosis - an autoimmune disease that damages the lungs, kidneys and other internal organs. Since the disease only affects internal organs, the condition is not visible to the public. But the symptoms of the disease and the results of Becker's treatment are significant. Because of her illness, Becker sometimes loses her voice and suffers from sporadic memory loss, making it difficult for her to participate in class. And while she was rarely absent beforethe diagno- ses, Becker is now forced to miss class for extended periods of time to receive treatments that often require days of recuperation. Throughout her time at the University, Becker has struggled to deal with limitations from her disease that negatively affect her academic per- formance. For example, though she would like to avoid taking narcotics to stay active in class - the pain medication she takes makes her lethargic and unresponsive - the effects of doing so are often debilitating. "It could be finals week. It could be the first day of class," Becker said of when her symptoms flare up. "It's really completely unpredictable, which is, I think, one of the hardest things about having a chronic disease at school." Because ofher disability, Becker has been forced to redefine her metrics for success. Getting an 'A' on an exam or a paper is no longer a top priority for her. "One day it might be getting out of bed, the other it'might be submitting a paper for publication," she said. "I think when you're dealing with a chronic illness or a disability, your definition of success can change from day-to-day." Though Becker has attempted to restructure her life, and expectations, with consideration of her disability, she has found it difficult to do so in a setting as competitive and academically rigorous as the University. "(It)'s hard to (redefine success) when you're in an environment that has a very strict definition of success," Becker said. "And that (definition) is pro- ductivity. So, when you can't be productive, you feel unsuccessful. And that's hard." Like Becker, many of the students registered with SSWD are only recently disabled. Some were diagnosed with the disability shortly before com- ing to the University; others were diagnosed well into their time at college. For those with new dis- abilities like Becker, learning to accept new limita- tions is often difficult and unwelcome. "It was a huge adjustment going from a high- achieving, healthy student who could do what she wanted to being limited by this disease and its effects and its medications," Becker said. To help with this adjustment, the University does encourage professors to allow certain aca- demic accommodations for students registered with SSWD, like extra time for exams, exten- sions for class assignments and additional excused absences. However, many students feel uncom- fortable asking for these accommodations. Rackham graduate student Leslie Rott said that during her first year at the University, she seemed to wake up every day with a new and unfamiliar symptom. But despite undergoing multiple diag- nostic tests, no one could initially pinpoint the cause. It wasn't until a week before the end of the academic year that she was diagnosed with rheu- matoid arthritis and lupus - a chronic inflam- matory disease that attacks the body's tissues " and organs. Rott said she was unsure of what accom- modations she would be entitled to going into her second year.Unlike those whohavelived most of their lives with disabilities, she had no previous experience as a disabled individual and didn't even know how to go about asking for accommo- dations. "A part of it, too, is that, at least in my case, I'm asking for help and accommodations that I. don't want to be asking for, that I never thought I would have to be asking for," she said. "So it's really dif- ficult to actively try and do this yourself." R ecentUniversitygraduate AnnaLembrykwas diagnosed with lupus during her junior year of college. In addition to academic accommo- dations, Lembryk has had to deal with the social aspects of her disability. Her condition requires her to sleep more than the typical college student. She goes to bed around 10:30 p.m. every night and takes a half-hour nap every day - a sleep schedule that often places a burden on her social life. LSA sophomore Anna Clements has to deal with similar issues. Clements was in a car accident at the end of high school that resulted in a trau- matic brain injury, which caused memory loss and depression. And while most students can procras- tinate and pull all-nighters to catch up with work, Clements can't stay up late to study or write papers because her "brain just doesn't function" if she is exhausted. "I have to be really good with not only time management, but also energy management. And so I have to gauge the number of the hours in the, day that I have energy, and I have to get everything important into those hours," she said. "When I use my energy on socializing or going to the gym - things that are completely fine for most people - for me, it's now that my energy isagone." LSA junior Robbie Dembo first began expe- riencing chronic back pain during his freshman year at the University. The pain severely impedes his ability to walk even short distances, forcing him to drive everywhere he goes. Dembo said this not only affects his studies, but like Lembryk and Clements, his social life as well. In addition to taking a lighter course load, which means he might notgraduate in four years, Dembo said he must cope with having to say "no" to his friends when they invite him to do something he can't do because of his physical limitations. "I want to be able to tell (that) 'I can't walk far because I have limita- fact tl tions,' " Dembo said. "I want to be able to say Demb that, and I want them to turn around and be able fortal to say, 'OK, I understand that. Let's find some- who i thing to do closer by.' "whee Despite the difficulties of the disability itself, To Dembo said one of the hardest things he has to stude deal with is coming to terms with his disability in supp< a community that, he says, is not always tolerant torsh of those with limitations. He said because his dis- "I ability isn't immediately visible, people judge him ful, es when, for example, he has to take the elevator up if the only one floor because he can't walk up stairs. work Becker echoed this sentiment, stressingthe dif- rienc ficulty of having an invisible disability in an envi- with ronment that often fails to recognize the disabled relati community as a whole. acros "I think one of the biggest challenges for stu- dents with disabilities or illnesses, is when they're invisible,"she said."Youknow, when I get on a commuter bus, it's hard for me to say, 'Can I have your seat?' just small things." Unlike issues that are widely discussed, like race, religion and sexuality, a discussion about disabilities is often ignored., Students like Dembo and Becker say the support that exists for students with disabilities is simply not adequate. Rn+t, n+ti- nriinly thA iifr111ipof nio niche at the1 are unaware "It's not said. "So it's like Im part ment when 9 what's going Rott said at the Unive way issues t cussed. Rot1 studentswit communicat ible illnesses n1so M;C n.