UMD: Srudents with Disabilities

<p>Hello people.</p>

<p>I read this opinion article in UMD’s Diamondback newspaper today. The article said something regarding people with disabilities and professors. Here is an excerpt: “Many professors only grudgingly accept this university’s accomodations for students with disabilities, and they continuously try to get around them because they are perceived as an inconvenience. When I registered for the accommodations, I was counseled to be firm about my promise for private space, because professors are always pressuring students to just [take the test in the back of the classroom or something]. Having to email a copy of the test to Disability Support Service is such an inconvenience to some professors that they completely neglect the fact that the student has a disability that requires this accommodation. How does it make the student feel to have to deal with this and similar scenarios, on top of having a disability?”</p>

<p>I would like to know from only current University of Maryland-College Park students, students who have previously attended the University of Maryland-College Park, and students who have graduated from the University of Maryland-College Park-the Alumni, is this true? How are students with disabilities being traded at UMD apart from being treated as adults and not hand-holding?</p>

<p>To read more of this article, please visit the following web link to this article:</p>

<p>[Guest</a> column: Difficult stigmas - Opinion - The Diamondback - University of Maryland](<a href=“http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/guest-column-difficult-stigmas-1.2814315#.T1peUvUydXc]Guest”>http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/guest-column-difficult-stigmas-1.2814315#.T1peUvUydXc)</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>I am not a current or previous student, but a mom of a HS junior so take this for what its worth.</p>

<p>I have been told by several educational consultants in Maryland that students with disabilities should stay away from College Park. I think this article is great because the more people talk about this the more likely it is to change.</p>

<p>Mom24boys, why did educational consultants thinks students LD should stay away from UMD? Do they mean all students with LD? I heard that there is an advocacy group at UMD for people with disabilities.</p>

<p>I don’t think you can ever say all students with LD should stay away from UMCP. What I am hearing is that students have to be prepared to advocate for themselves and that there is a lot of red tape to get support.</p>

<p>I think the best thing to do is talk to the advocacy group, perhaps they can introduce you to a student with the same disability. We are dealing with Aspergers, so that is a whole different ball of wax, but College Park was specifcally singled out as not disabilty friendly and Towson and UMBC where recommended as better in state options.</p>

<p>I understand the clarification. Yes, I do know how to advocate regarding my disability. Thank you for suggestion regarding the advocacy group. I am still trying to apply to UMD-CP for transfer admission. They are the only school in the state of Maryland that has the journalism major. UMBC (I currently attend there) does not have it. Towson has the same way as UMBC. Do you know the GPA for transfer admission at UMD-CP by any chance? Thank you for responding and good luck with your situation. Thank you for the advice and it will definitely be put to good use regarding self-advocacy. I have also found a program that works with UMD-CP. They are called the Achieving in Higher Education for People with Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD). They work with people with all types of disabilities (Autism, Aspergers, high-functioning Autism, learning disabilities, Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities, and others) and they work with the University of Maryland-College Park. They also work with other universities across the United States. I researched this about a couple of years ago. I am trying to also contact College Living Experience to see if they can be of assistance.</p>

<p>If you want more information about AHEADD, please visit the following website link:</p>

<p>[Autism</a>, Asperger’s & ADHD Support for College Students - AHEADD](<a href=“aheadd.org”>http://www.aheadd.org/)</p>

<p>[Autism</a> Support for College in College Park, MD](<a href=“aheadd.org”>aheadd.org)</p>

<p>Also, the advocacy group on the UMD-CP campus is called Active Minds.</p>

<p>Thank you for responding.</p>

<p>All of these remarks apply to learning disabilities. Does this apply as well to physical disabilities? My child is slightly disabled, but it is enough that he has problems with stairs. This concerns me greatly.</p>

<p>Maxstress, you may want call AHEADD and CLE to ask them about this.</p>