something I’ve written and
even then I’ve edited it many
times so nobody can ever tell.”
At the University, students
with
learning
disabilities
make up the largest portion
of students with registered
disabilities. According to the
2016-2017 Annual Report from
Services for Students with
Disabilities, 38 percent of the
students registered with SSD
are students with learning
disabilities,
about
1,021
students in total.
SSD Director Stuart Segal
said
the
reason
learning
disabilities include the largest
number of students is because
the term “learning disabilities”
encompasses a wide range of
disorders and disabilities.
“We include students with
ADHD and autism spectrum
into the category of learning
disabilities,” Segal said. “Even
though it says LD (learning
disorders), it includes a lot
more
than
students
with
specific learning disabilities.”
Examples
of
SSD
accommodations
include
extended time, a quiet location
for testing, a laptop for in-class
exams and more. However,
the type of accommodation
a student receives can be
different for students who
face the same disability. The
accommodations are evaluated
for each individual, according
to Segal.
“(Accommodations
are)
made
on
the
evidence
of
impairment,”
Segal
said.
“Depending
on
the
level
of impairment, that would
be
related
to
what
the
accommodations are.”
LSA
sophomore
Lucie
Rosenthal was diagnosed with
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder when she was in
high school, and she currently
receives
extended
time
in
a separate room for exams
within the University.
“Michigan
has
been
pretty
accommodating
with
accommodations,”
Rosenthal
said. “Even in large lectures,
professors have been helpful.”
Rosenthal said the process
of getting additional time was
not overly difficult. Once she
had paperwork from her doctor
processed by SSD, she was
granted the accommodation
she needed.
Harfield
also
said
specific
professors
at
the
University
have
been
especially
accommodating
for
her
including
lecturer
Brenda Gunderson from the
Department of Statistics. For
Harfield, common fonts like
Times New Roman are difficult
to read because the letters are
very uniform. As a part of her
accommodation,
Gunderson
purchased a special font for
Hartfield’s exam so it would be
easier for her to read.
In
an
email
interview,
Gunderson wrote that most
of
the
accommodations
in
her class relate to the exams.
Stats 250 has a separate email
address for students to discuss
conflicts and accommodations
regarding exams. Gunderson
also requests rooms specifically
with tables instead of chairs
with table arms to provide a
good environment for students
receiving extra time for their
exams.
“I learn so much from our
students,” Gunderson wrote.
“It is from Felicity that I
learned about how a cool
special font can help people
with dyslexia to read.”
Celina
DeFigueiredo-
Dusseau
graduated
the
University last semester and
will start graduate school the
School of Public Health next
fall.
DeFigueiredo-Dusseau
has ADHD and has a specific
learning disability in reading,
math, and writing. Her SLD
surfaced during her freshman
year when she experienced
seizures and problems with
her
memory.
According
to
DeFigueiredo-Dusseau,
it’s
possible
her
learning
disabilities appeared from the
effects of a traumatic brain
injury in her childhood.
As
an
accommodation,
SSD provided DeFigueiredo-
Dusseau with a Livescribe pen,
which is able to record what
she’s hearing in class while she
is writing it. The Livescribe
pen allowed her to replay parts
of lectures as she sometimes
faces difficulty remembering
what was said while she is
writing.
As
a
graduate
student,
DeFigueiredo-Dusseau
said
all of her accommodations
will carry over to graduate
school, though she has noticed
a smaller presence of students
with disabilities heading to
higher levels of academia.
“As I transition to graduate
school, what I’m noticing is
many students with disabilities
don’t make it to graduate
school,”
DeFigueiredo-
Dusseau said. “I’m finding that
a lot of the leadership and the
faculty don’t how to deal with
(disabilities) quite as well, but
they are very willing to help.”
In her four years at the
University,
DeFigueiredo-
Dusseau explained she has
seen improvement in how the
University helps students with
disabilities. She is currently
a member of the SSD Student
Advisory Board with Harfield.
For Rosenthal, sometimes
she gets weird looks from her
friends when she takes an
exam in a different classroom.
For Harfield, she has noted
some students will joke about
dyslexia
when
they
make
grammar or spelling mistakes.
“It’s a fact, it’s like saying I
have a brother,” Hartfield said.
“I have dyslexia.”
Segal
said
the
accommodations
from
SSD
can’t
alter
the
coursework
or
requirements
from
the
University, but they can help.
“We’re looking for equity
of access,” Segal said. “That
students should have the same
access to course material as
other students.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Friday, February 23, 2018 — 3
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Austrian author Theodora Bauer reads from her latest book, “Chikago,” based off of her research on the emigration of Austrians to Chicago during the
1920s in the MLB Thursday.
CHIK AGO
DISABILITIES
From Page 1
to protect students. At a school
board
meeting
Wednesday,
Swift
applauded
students’
peaceful efforts to voice their
concern
regarding
school
safety.
“Let me be clear, the presence
of a weapon or a gun in school
runs contrary to everything we
are wired to do in education
for children,” Swift said. “We
believe it is counterproductive
to
maintaining
a
rich,
productive
and
healthy
learning environment for our
children every day in school.”
In some cases, the student
walkouts
infringed
on
classroom instructional time
for
students.
Board
Vice
President Susan Baskett said
she wanted the efforts to be
collaborative between students,
teachers
and
supervisors,
because she disapproved of
losing time in class.
“To our students, let us help
you take action with a purpose.
… Don’t be dismissive of us,”
Baskett said. “Again, we don’t
want to lead this because, truly,
I think the most effective body
in this work will be the young
people themselves.”
Board Trustee Jessica Kelly
considered
the
incident
in
Parkland a “tipping point.”
She welcomed ideas on better
ways to support students in the
fight for school safety and gun
control.
The walkouts on Wednesday
also
called
into
question
students’
First
Amendment
rights in a school setting.
According to Ann Arbor Public
Schools’ policy, as referenced
by
Swift,
students’
may
express their opinions without
disrupting
normal
school
routine.
Board Secretary Jeff Gaynor
said during the meeting it is
the job of educators to support
students without undercutting
their message.
“We as educators, it’s our
responsibility to help them
define the issue, refine the
issue,” Gaynor said.
Emma Roth, a senior at
Pioneer High School and an
organizer of the walkout, said
she was grateful the board
was supporting students and
feels there is momentum for
students to push for change.
Roth is optimistic in seeing
a change, especially with the
power in the hands of students.
“It makes me really, really
happy that (the school board
members) are behind us right
now,” Roth said to MLive. “I
think students are the voice we
need right now. It feels almost
like passing a torch.”
TEENS
From Page 1
Institutional
Equity
in
January showed a 40 percent
increase in sexual misconduct
reports from 2016 to 2017.
Of the 218 reports made to
OIE between July 2016 and
June 2017, 82 were deemed
outside “the scope of the
policy.” Twenty-eight were
formally
investigated,
and
111 were reviewed by an OIE
panel. Of the cases which
were
investigated,
only
8
found a student in violation of
University rules.
The University’s attention
to
examining
its
current
practices
comes
shortly
after the sentencing of Larry
Nassar, the former Michigan
State
University
and
USA
Gymnastics
doctor
who
sexually abused hundreds of
young girls and women he
was supposed to be treating.
Investigations by ESPN and
The Detroit News in the wake
of
the
Nassar
sentencing
revealed the degree to which
the case reflected a failure
of MSU administration and
staff on multiple levels, and
also extended to other areas
of MSU’s athletic department.
The
announcement
also
follows
two
incidences
of
possession
of
child
pornography
by
University
of Michigan employees. On
Feb. 12, Mark Hoeltzel, a
former University pediatric
rheumatology
specialist,
was
arrested
at
Detroit
Metropolitan
Airport
for
possession
of
child
pornography
––
Hoetzel
also had a two-year sexual
relationship with one of his
patients, who started seeing
him for treatment at age 17.
On Feb. 13, Clifford Raymond
Bingham, a former professor
at
the
University,
was
sentenced to 90 days in jail for
child pornography possession.
In
April
2017,
before
many of the revelations of
the flaws in MSU’s sexual
misconduct practices, MSU’s
then-President,
Lou
Anna
K. Simon, also called for an
independent
review
of
its
sexual misconduct policies.
Simon’s announcement was
part of her administration’s
response to the Larry Nassar
allegations.
MSU hired the law firm
Husch Blackwell to conduct
the initial review. On Nov.
20, 2017, Husch Blackwell
published a report detailing
their
investigation,
which
found MSU was Title IX
compliant, saying the policies
“reflect a strong and genuine
institutional
commitment
to
combatting
sexual
misconduct.”
A press release published
on Feb. 13 announced MSU
would
engage
in
another
review led by investigative
risk consulting firm Kroll to
address Title IX complaints.
Social Work student Nicole
Bedera researches Title IX
on
college
campuses,
and
explained organizations are
often prompted to participate
in an external review by a
new event or development. In
the case of the University’s
decision to pursue an external
review, Bedera believes the
decision can be attributed to
the Larry Nassar trials and
the fact that the University
of Michigan and Michigan
State University are in close
connection.
According to Bedera, the
hiring process for firms that
lead external investigations
depend on the types of results
an organization hopes to yield
and the insights on sexual
misconduct they hope to gain.
Bedera made the distinction
that a legally-focused firm
would likely consider issues
like compliance and the legal
soundness of an institution’s
policies, whereas a socially-
focused firm may focus the
investigation more heavily on
the student experience.
While
details
of
the
University’s
firm
hiring
process
have
not
been
announced,
Berdera
hopes
those
involved
in
the
investigation will seek out
the perspective of faculty,
researchers and students on
campus who have valuable
insights on the issue of sexual
misconduct
and
how
the
University interacts with the
issue on campus.
“As we are moving towards
this external review, one thing
that I hope the University will
be doing is turning to a lot of
experts about sexual violence
on the campus who should
be chiming in,” Bedera said.
“And by experts I don’t mean
just necessarily researchers,
but also people who have
been through an adjudication
process
on
campus,
who
have been involved in sexual
misconduct claims whether
they are making them or they
are the one they have been
made about, and I hope those
people who know Michigan
really well will have a chance
to speak about their own
experiences.”
we wanted, but we made sure you
knew what was happening in our
communities,” she said.
Bruegl
discussed
A.I.M.’s
success in reinvigorating the
Native American community as
a whole, citing the establishment
of tribal colleges, reestablishing
traditional cultures, languages
and religion, and bringing about
federal policy change expanding
the rights of Native American
citizens.
Bruegl
then
centered
the
discussion
on
present-day
controversies faced by Native
Americans, citing issues from
Standing Rock, a controversy
surrounding the establishment
of the Dakota Access Pipeline
running
oil
underneath
the
Missouri River, to the Back
40 Mine, a lesser known issue
regarding an open pit sulfite mine
which could potentially leak into
the mouth of the Menominee
River, a sacred place for the
Menominee Nation of Wisconsin.
She also discussed the threat of
privatization of native land by
the federal government to easily
gain natural resources.
Bruegl implored the audience
to
increase
their
awareness
of
Native
American
history
and culture through studying
literature
and
watching
documentaries.
May
also
announced
an
upcoming
powwow
celebrating
Native
American culture, being held
March 24 and 25 at Skyline High
School in Ann Arbor.
Bruegl ended the discussion by
citing a need for more awareness
of Native American activism and
policy.
“Everybody likes the Native
American that talks about peace,
love and nature, but nobody
likes the one who talks about
what really happened which is
genocide, rape, and stolen land
— nobody talks about that,” she
said. “In order to get a full, well-
rounded history on this, you have
to really look out there.”
After the lecture, LSA senior
Queena Zhao agreed on the
importance of gaining awareness
for diverse identities on campus.
“I’m in an Asian-American
interest sorority, and we all want
to learn about other people’s
cultures,” Zhao said. “We know
there are struggles within our
own culture and we know there
are struggles with other people’s
cultures, and throughout history,
you find that when people work
together, they figure out those
struggles better.”
ACTIVISM
From Page 1
REVIEW
From Page 1
were turned because we committed
to what our bigger picture goal is —
which is to bring people together
who aren’t currently speaking from
different communities and so our
team touches almost every corner
of campus and I would say our
team also has perhaps, I would say,
the most out of any other team right
now, people who are brand new to
CSG— which sometimes can be a
little chaotic, but also keeps that
voice towards what the actual aver-
age student is — because I think it’s
about 14 to 18 percent of students
which actually vote in CSG elec-
tions, which is unacceptable to me.”
MVision’s platform points in-
clude more meetings on North
Campus
and
bringing
back
monthly
town
hall
meetings.
“We want to re-establish hav-
ing meetings on North Campus,”
Greene said. “A large chunk of our
student body lives and interacts
and has their academics always on
North and in my mind it’s a little
disrespectful to assume everything
has to be on Central Campus. We
want to bring back monthly town
hall meetings, where we can have
any student show up and voice
their concerns on any topic, but
we also want to have structured
town hall meetings where we have
sexual assault prevention, mental
health, LGBTQ issues, even Greek
life. Anything that’s going on and is
a hot topic issue, to allow the people
come together without the 30-min-
ute timeline of community con-
cerns on Tuesday and actually have
two or three hours of just us listen-
ing, and I think right now, given
everything that’s going on not only
in the national dialogue but on our
campus — especially with Richard
Spencer trying to come — I think
that the best qualities for leaders
goes through a cycle, and mov-
ing into next year, one of the most
important things we can, or who-
ever wins, can do is be a listener.”
Baer also brought up MVi-
sion’s work to create an inclu-
sive
environment
right
away
by reaching out to students for
suggestions on their platform.
“I think the other big way that
we’ve been trying to build an inclu-
sive party is through our platform
itself,” she said. “At first people
were like you, ‘launched a website
without a platform, you launched
a party without a platform’, but
first we really wanted to get people
with our values and that was the
first thing that came out instead
of the platform points. We really
wanted to make it so any student
could submit what they want.”
Greene said he also hopes to focus
increasing representation through-
out campus for minority identities.
“In terms of what I’m most
passionate about outside of the
direct experience, is the under-
representation in terms of CAPS
(Counseling
and
Psychological
Services) counselors, the Spec-
trum Center, administrators, pro-
fessors and lecturers of course — I
mean that not only by physical
identities which are obvious, but
also invisible identities,” he said.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
MVISION
From Page 2