Sessions of a two-day meeting between the United States and China regarding disability rights were hosted at the George Washington University’s Science and Engineering Hall on Wednesday, as GW representatives, officials from the U.S. Department of State and members of a Chinese delegation discussed how U.S. colleges provide support services for citizens with disabilities.
The discussions, which featured brief remarks from George Washington President Steven Knapp, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Terri Harris Reed and State Department Special Advisor for International Disability Rights Judith Heumann, covered key moments regarding disability support services in the United States.
Landmark legislation, including the 1973 Department of Education Rehabilitation Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, along with the creation of disability support services offices on college campuses have created more opportunities for those with disabilities to pursue an education.
“Initially accommodations were for architectural redesign—ramps, door openers, ways to ensure students could effectively participate in the same educational space,” said Susan McMenamin, director of the university’s Office of Disability Support Services, which opened in 1978. “That has evolved into accommodations that have had a much more direct impact on academic class environments.”
Ms. McMenamin said she developed a passion for working with young children with disabilities in college, while pursuing, of all things, a medical degree.
“I became fascinated with a course I took in genetics, where I learned about children born with various genetic disorders who thrived when offered early intervention support and ultimately the opportunity for other specialized education programs,” she said. “So I switched from medicine to special education.”
Today, under her leadership, the Office of Disability Support Services assists more than 900 students through dozens of methods, including housing, test proctoring, note taking and laboratory or library support. Sign language interpreters and captioning are available for deaf and hard of hearing students.
“The purpose is to make sure that the members of this very important part of the university community share access with every other student to everything the university has to offer,” Dr. Knapp said.
Visiting GW, Ms. Heumann added, provides the delegation with a glance at shared access in practice.
“GW is an example of what universities are doing across the United States,” she said. “This is a good opportunity to learn about a variety of areas of activity they are engaged with to help get a better understanding of how students and faculty with disabilities are supported.”
