Moving Ahead With Disabilities
Is Whittier College on the Right Path?
First day of college and my mind filled with thoughts and questions about what the next few years would bring. I was excited of course, but also anxious after hearing warnings from others about how college was a completely different ballgame and that I wouldn’t have the same amount of support as I did in high school.
You see, I have something called Mitochondrial Disease and have needed to use a wheelchair and ventilator since I was three years old. While this has never stopped me from living my life, I would be lying if I said it didn’t have its drawbacks. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle pursuing higher education without all the help I had in high school. There were times when I felt like backing out. Luckily, since enrolling in Whittier College, I’ve found a community that enables me to reach my full potential.
As supportive as its been here, over the years, I’ve also felt that more could be done for students with significant disabilities who are trying to reach their educational goals. Of course, when it comes to having a disability, there are no one-size-fits-all scenario. We each face our own challenges and what may not seem like a big deal for one person, can present a major roadblock for someone else. So, I wanted to hear what others with registered disabilities thought of how Whittier College their needs.
Anyone who’s ever been a full-time student knows that college is no picnic. It can be stressful and just plain exhausting. No one understands this better than Dallas Dehart.
As a third year Applied Mathematics major and Physics minor, Dehart spends her time not only working with numbers, but also dealing with her various medical conditions. Having been born with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), she is prone to dislocations and easy bruising and her body has difficulty healing itself when this happens.
Along with this genetic condition, which the U.S. National Library of Medicine reports about 1 in 5,000 globally, she also suffers from Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), non-epilectic seizures, and migraines. Because of her POTS, she experiences periods of falling unconscious and has a service dog named Nelly to alert her of when this is about to happen. None of this stops her from pursuing her educational and career goals, however, the accommodations available to her can have a significant impact on her experience.
When we recently met at Wardman Library, I realized that at first glance, people may not be able to tell that she has any medical condition, let alone those mentioned above. This is common for those who have “invisible disabilities” and has caused complications with her receiving assistance in the past.
Dehart says high school teachers sometimes questioned the accomodations she required. Her fellow Poets and friends Deja Jamison and Lauren Burney believe that more awareness needs to be spread about how Disability Services works. Burberry, who shares similar conditions with Depart, notes that there are some who don’t understand that accommodations are meant to “level the playing field, not to give anyone the advantage”.
Prior to enrolling in Whittier College, Dehart had expected her life as an undergraduate to follow the same challenges she had previously been confronted with. She was surprised to find a much more open-minded community here than she had thought. “I feel like [Whittier College] truly understands my problems and is willing to work with me,” she says, “[without] the professors I’ve had and the amazing support from my friends, I wouldn’t be graduating in 2020.”
She isn’t the only one who recognizes how much of an impact can be made by the liberal arts school’s community. After spending two years on campus as a Whittier Scholars Program (WSP) student, Rickey Ortiz has come to the same conclusion and cites Whittier’s College’s accepting and supportive atmosphere as one of its greatest assets.
Ortiz is diagnosed with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy which weakens his muscles and makes fatigue a part of his everyday life. He uses a scooter and has an aid assist him on campus. He also needs to have a notetaker for his classes. This, however, hasn’t gotten in the way of his working towards his degree in Video Editing and Visual Effects for Film and Media.
His love for this field of work began when he was in seventh grade and he has helped in the development of a few projects here on campus. Ortiz explains that Disability Services has been very proactive in finding solutions to any concerns he brings up to them. “The students and faculty are all really supportive in whatever you want to learn and pursue, and will help you along the way in achieving your goals,” he says.
That being said, nothing is perfect and Whittier College isn’t an exception. While both Dehart and Ortiz applaud the school for its efforts to increase accessibility, they both not there is room for improvement. Part of the challenge is the historic nature of the campus.
If you’ve been here, you may have felt as if you were traveling back in time as you walked past the late-19th century structures. While there’s no denying that the aesthetics add to the school’s charm, they do have one huge drawback, especially when it comes to meeting Americans With Disabilities Act standards: many buildings on campus are considered historical landmarks. This means their architectural integrity must be maintained. So, modifying them to be “disability-friendly” is a complicated process. History is important, for sure, but by leaving many of the buildings as they are, the campus can’t be fully inclusive of all students.
Some buildings (excluding the recent Science and Learning Center) don’t have elevators installed and others are completely inaccessible for those who are handicapped. This posed a dilemma for Ortiz last summer when he went to help film a feature about Whittier Scholars Program senior projects. The event, though, took place in Wardman Hall which is inaccessible for wheelchair and scooter users. Ortiz wasn’t able to help with shooting video inside the building, though he was able to use his drone to take aerial footage.
Another major issue that many may not notice is the use of service dogs. As of 2016, some 500,000 individuals in the U.S. that use service dogs. Even so, many do not understand the roles service dogs play in the lives of those with disabilities.
Dehart says problems arise when students and others treat her sweet-looking service dog Nelly like they would any other pet, diverting her attention from Dehart. As she discusses this, on cue a group of students walk out of the library and wave at Nelly and speak to her in baby talk. “Most people don’t realize that my dog is my wheelchair,” says Dehart, “and every time they distract my wheelchair, I have no legs.”
Pet dogs running around campus off leash posed another set of problems. Nelly was recently attacked by an off-leash dog, which caused Dehart’s POTS to kick in. She lost consciousness and fell to the ground. she explains.
“So, what happened?”
“I filed a report and she called my dog vicious for defending herself,” Dehart says.
I look at Nelly who is calmly sitting next to her owner and can’t imagine how anyone could think she was “vicious”.
Dehart points out that the issues described above are unnecessary and could be avoided by putting certain methods into actions such as educating the community on how to and not to interact with service dogs.
Whittier College offers resources that help students in their academic pursuits, but being a Poet doesn’t end when you step outside of the classroom and there are other areas that could be addressed to ensure that everyone can participate in campus life.
Madison VanWinkle, a friend and classmate of Ortiz, thinks that adaptations such as including braille menus in the Campus Inn and The Spot, installing elevators in all dorms, constructing more ramps, and having Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) on crosswalks should be included in Disability Services plan of action. Ortiz, who has a female aid who works with durign the week, hopes to see more gender-neutral bathrooms spread out across campus. Also, some have noticed that some handicap buttons at entrances to certan buildings sometimes don’t always work.
Mariam MacLeod, Director of Student Disability Services, says two of the main obstacles preventing to better student supports are high demand and limited resources. She says Disability Services continues to try to make Whittier College more accessible. One action that could support this is offering more full-time positions in the department, MacLeod says. She believes it would help of the department’s graduate intern could become an Assistant Director.
MacLeod hopes to bring programs to campus that can help teach the community about disability-related topics. In the meantime, the Disability Services team advises Poets to not hesitate to reach about anything they need help.
Accommodations coordinator, Justin Lising added, “I would like [students with disabilities] to know that you have so much wealth and experience to bring to Whittier College … Your identity brings diversity to this campus and your classmates and faculty can learn so much through you and through your experiences”.
Looking back at my first year at WC, I can still remember the feeling of uncertainty that overwhelmed me and how much I doubted my ability to succeed in college. Since then, I’m happy to say that I’ve been able to see progress being made little by little and more is being done all the time. Don’t get me wrong, there are still quite a few hurdles to get over before Whittier College becomes completely accessible, but I have full faith that it will happen.
Today, Dallas Dehart finishes off her junior year with plans to pursue a master’s degree at California State University Long Beach. Rickey Ortiz is preparing to start up his very own online video editing business after graduating. I’m a dean’s-list student finishing up my third year.
We’re all capable of doing whatever we set our minds to, however, it’s when everyone comes together and supports each other that great things can happen. Whether you’re a future mathematician, a film artist in training, faculty or staff member, a four-legged friend (yes, I’m talking to you Nelly), or if you simply know someone with a disability, we all need to be an advocate for the rights to equal access.
