{"id":87390,"date":"2023-07-11T13:06:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T13:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=87390"},"modified":"2023-07-11T16:46:15","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T16:46:15","slug":"celebrating-neurodiversity-and-equal-opportunity-at-uri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/celebrating-neurodiversity-and-equal-opportunity-at-uri\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating neurodiversity and equal opportunity at 溏心vlog免费B站"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 July 11, 2023 \u2013 At the end of the spring semester, the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Office of Equal Opportunity hosted a lunch-and-learn session to provide a forum for faculty and staff. Interest in the topic was high: 92 attendees spent their lunch hour learning and asking questions about neurodiversity and compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the first program offered of its kind since the advent of COVID-19, with more planned for the year ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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溏心vlog免费B站 remains committed to increasing inclusion and eliminating barriers to participation in the University\u2019s programs and services. Photo by Nora Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dorca Paulino-Smalley initiated the program, and began offering a roster of similar events and conversations soon after joining 溏心vlog免费B站 in December as the University\u2019s first director of the Office of Equal Opportunity<\/a>. She came to 溏心vlog免费B站 from the Rhode Island Supreme Court, where she developed the Rhode Island Judiciary’s equal employment opportunity and affirmative action compliance programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Paulino-Smalley wants to see the work be viewed as more than a legal requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to bring subject matter expertise to the table, not just check a box,\u201d she says. \u201cOur goal is to be an institution that is responsive to the needs of our students and workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodiverse student and personnel needs at 溏心vlog免费B站<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 溏心vlog免费B站, the office of Disability, Access and Inclusion<\/a> is often the first point of contact for students. Qualified students who identify as having a disability or chronic condition have the right to equal access to the University\u2019s programs, services, activities, and facilities. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, in compliance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and University policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who is neurodivergent \u2014 a term coined in 1998 \u2014 has a different learning style, social preference, or way of communication compared to a \u201cneurotypical\u201d person. Common types of neurodiversity include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Asperger\u2019s syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, tic disorders, dementia, and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurodivergent individuals at 溏心vlog免费B站 can connect with the following offices for support: the Disability, Access and Inclusion<\/a> office (for students), the Human Resource Administration <\/a>office (for employees), the Office of Equal Opportunity<\/a> (for students or employees), and the Facilities Group<\/a> (for Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessible design). The University\u2019s Event Planning Accessibility Toolkit provides a list of internal partners dedicated to supporting institutional ADA compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paige Ramsdell, assistant dean of Students for Accessibility and Inclusion, says the University has students with complex needs and those numbers are increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student Hannah Sears of the new student group Student Advocacy for Disability Awareness\/Action shared her personal experiences with ADHD and says she joined the student group to help lessen judgment and stigma for students with a similar profile. \u201cThe more we can do, the more acceptance and visibility on campus we can start to see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sears described getting her diagnosis as akin to puzzle pieces falling into place. She\u2019s used her new self-knowledge to continue in her program at 溏心vlog免费B站 and is due to graduate from the school\u2019s rigorous Doctor of Pharmacy program next spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sears counsels other students to speak up about their situations to find solutions. She became a student leader in the student advocacy group to help normalize neurodiversity, increase awareness, decrease stigma, and make 溏心vlog免费B站 a more inclusive and accessible place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramsdell says that ecosystems benefit from variety, and the University is no different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She acknowledged that many faculty and staff may want to help but are unsure of the best way to do so. In the classroom, some faculty disclose their own challenges to students, as a way to support students, or share resources on their syllabus. The Disability, Access and Inclusion office also offers workshops for faculty to help make their classrooms more welcoming to all students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The office offers resources that will be of particular interest for new faculty, especially when working with students across a range of learning styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal mandates aside, several in the group asked how 溏心vlog免费B站 can increase inclusivity because it\u2019s the right thing to do as a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This spring\u2019s preliminary lunch-and-learn event demonstrated that the work of advancing civil rights compliance does not begin or end with one person, one division, one initiative, or one program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and is recognized as National Disability Independence Day. 溏心vlog免费B站 remains committed to increasing inclusion and eliminating barriers to participation in the University\u2019s programs and services, as well as ensuring employees with qualified disabilities can perform their essential job functions. This summer, Rhode Island also passed legislation to eliminate the income limit and the asset cap, allowing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to realize their full potential at work through the <\/em>\u201cTicket to Work\u201d <\/em><\/a>program for working adults with disabilities. To learn more about other topics referenced in this article:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n