By Lindsay Arthurs
A Letter To: The University of Vermont Administration
Some disabilities in theory should be easy to accommodate. If someone is in a wheelchair, build a ramp to the building. Others might need extra time on tests or a note-taker. However, some disabilities need accommodations that are not so obvious. How do you help someone join a group conversation? How do you accommodate a person who can’t handle the hustle and bustle of campus and just sitting in a college lecture can be overwhelming let alone trying to learn the material.
Hi, my name is Lindsay. I am a senior at UVM. Despite being a senior, it will take me much more than a year to graduate. I am also a student at Think College (a program at UVM that supports students with intellectual and developmental disabilities) and I am on the autism spectrum and have learning differences. Throughout my college experience I have noticed that, despite UVM, being overall a good school that tries to make accommodations and is open to people with differences, it still has its shortfalls. I am writing this in hopes of opening your eyes to things that people may not have noticed before.
Throughout my college experience, partially due to Covid, I have taken about a third of my classes online. Having online courses reduces the harsh sensory input I experience when entering a classroom. Such as bright lights, and the professor’s voice can hurt my head. I get visually overstimulated easily. I don’t always understand how to join a group conversation or how to get my point across. I have trouble navigating the campus at times and almost run into people without meaning to. I have a helpful service dog. However, I still experience sensory overload often at UVM. During online classes, I experience less sensory overload however, I also don’t get as much social interaction and I don’t have much of a college experience. I wish there was a way to make classes more sensory-friendly for all involved.
My experience with UVM has been mixed. I have difficulty joining conversations and have trouble with some social cues which makes joining difficult. There have been plenty of times when I’ve gone to events only to stand there the entire time and not sure how to get into a conversation. How do you accommodate somebody like this? Although the university isn’t responsible for this, I would say it’s up to the university to create an environment that promotes inclusivity which includes that to those with disabilities.
I have tried doing events with the Outing Club only to have the waiting list fill up quickly. People with autism are automatically at a disadvantage when it comes to things like clubs because networking is harder for us. I don’t understand cliques or the point of them. I wish I had a good social life at UVM, but I honestly do not. I am part of the program off-campus called Mansfield Hall that supports college students with disabilities at UVM, Champlain College, CCV, and Saint Michael’s. However, programs like Mansfield Hall are very expensive and have a cost on top of the tuition for UVM. Mansfield Hall and Think College have made going to UVM possible for me.
If I did not have programs like this, I do not think I would have much of a social life at all.
Programs like Mansfield Hall and Think College are great, but I wish we didn’t need them. I wish I didn’t have to pay an extra $40,000 a year on top of tuition to be part of a program that helps me.
College is supposed to be accessible to everyone they admit. UVM often is known as a place that is inclusive towards those in the LGBTQ community. I wish UVM also celebrated those in the disabled community with the same triumph. I would love to see UVM make more of an effort to include people with disabilities. I’d love to see a Unified Special Olympics team. I’d like to see such clubs such as the ski and snowboard club host sensory-friendly events and outings geared towards those with disabilities. I’d love to see the Outing Club be more inclusive to those with disabilities as well. Have a weekend that is geared towards those with neurodivergent or physical disabilities. Better train the Career Center to help students navigate disclosure in the workplace and how to find workplaces that are disability friendly.
College can be hard for everyone. If you have a disability it adds complex layers to an already difficult time. You often have to think about whether you want to disclose and be seen as possibly less than or or hide part of who you are. I am a very literal person and in my courses, people often laugh at my statements and questions. I know they are probably not doing this to make fun of me, but at the same time, I don’t always understand why. The truth is there weren’t that many autistic students in college recently. Developmentally I am all over the map and it can be hard to meet the expectations that people have of those my age as my skills are either beyond them or below them.
I’d love to see more awareness on campus about different disabilities. I often see racial and sexual diversity mentioned, but rarely do I see people bring up disability. I feel like it’s the hidden “D” in diversity. I want UVM to recruit students with disabilities with the same enthusiasm they recruit other students. I’d love to see UVM come up with a residential program to help support students with disabilities as well similar to that of Mansfield Hall.
That being said, there are some things UVM does well. I’ve had a good experience with their Student Accessibility Services. I have also heard of the UVM Disabled Student Union Club, which helps advocate for disabled students’ rights. These are a great start to improving campus culture around disability. Despite this, I often feel invisible at UVM and it’s time to see us.