Studying abroad was something I thought about before I even began college. I thought it might be an experience that would give me more confidence and independence. While this turned out to amazingly true, I found that once I got to Grinnell and the idea became more real, I grew apprehensive and wondered if this goal was possible. I had traveled to other countries, and I knew many places were less accessible than the United States.

During the last week of my first year at Grinnell, I sent an email to the directors of off-campus study. I explained that I was interested in studying abroad, particularly in London, and asked for any resources available. My tone in the email was very noncommittal, very much a message of "This might not work, but maybe?" Off-campus study staff met with me that week, and their response shocked me. "If you want to do this," they said, "we will make it happen." Their confidence came before fully knowing all of my needs or obstacles I might face in London.

From that point on, I viewed studying abroad as achievable. Throughout the summer, I was in contact with off-campus study, sharing questions and researching the city of London and the study-abroad program in terms of accessibility. I in no way regret beginning to plan my study-abroad experience more than a year in advance. I was fortunate to know right away that I wanted to go to London. I was even more fortunate that Grinnell had its own Grinnell-in-London (GIL) program. Since GIL occurs every fall semester (and has for more than 30 years), it was easier for the off-campus study office and myself to know where to direct questions.

If you want to study abroad in a different program than I did, I'd advise you to start researching programs as soon as possible. I say this only because the options of study-abroad programs today are endless. If there is a place you want to go, or something you want to study, you probably can find a program for you. This is exhilarating but can make preparation more complicated if you the program needs to accommodate a disability. Communicating with your selected program sooner gives them and you more time to work through potential challenges and make arrangements that you might need abroad. Preparing to go abroad is a challenging but exciting experience; it takes a lot of time, and the time goes quickly!

Throughout my second year at Grinnell, I had several meetings with off-campus study staff. I found I needed to consider many of the same issues as when I started college. What combinations of mobility devices would be most helpful to me? Would I need my manual wheelchair and scooter? If I needed a scooter in London, could I travel with my personal model? What about charging the battery with the changes in voltages in the United Kingdom? Should I rent one? Where would I find the most affordable scooter rental, but also a model that I was comfortable using? There were some questions I could anticipate, but some I would have never thought of. Asking questions and discussing scenarios with off-campus study staff was crucial.

Another unexpected component I dealt with was England's inability to conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This conflict arose when I decided to live in the student dorms. GIL offers its students the choice to live in flats with roommates or in an international student-living dorm. Students form roommate groups and apply for a flat without knowing which one they will be assigned to. The unknown question of whether I would be assigned to a flat that would work for me led me to select the dorm option instead. Looking back, this was the best choice for me. Visiting my friends in their flats was tough, as it forced me to walk up several flights of stairs or use an elevator that could barely accommodate my average-sized manual wheelchair.

The student dorm offered a handicapped-accessible single dorm room for my use. The policy of the dorm complex was that single rooms cost more than doubles. I was told that I needed to pay the extra cost for an accessible single. I learned that because of the lack of an ADA equivalent, the dorm could charge me the extra amount even though I was living in a single because I needed it, not because I was voluntarily choosing it. Grinnell decided that as an American student, I should still accorded the privileges of the ADA. The College reimbursed me the difference in cost of the single.

Another decision to be made was use of a sponsor person. One of my big concerns was that something would happen to me abroad. There were the big "what ifs": What if I got sick while abroad? How would I find a doctor? What if something in my dorm room didn't work for me? What if I had a major transportation issue? But there were also smaller questions: What if I couldn't find the closest grocery store?

I thought that knowing someone who was more familiar with the area and had access to more resources would ease my mind. It was important to me that the sponsor be someone I could contact without feeling uncomfortable or awkward asking for help. One of the Grinnell professors who came on GIL with us served as my sponsor. I could email or call him with specific questions. Having a sponsor did not hamper my independence at all, and none of the students on the program knew or cared that he served in this role. I used him on a strict only-when-needed basis, and he would only help me when I asked. Knowing I had that support available to me was a huge comfort, especially in the first few weeks abroad. It was also especially helpful to know someone was there to pick me up at Heathrow Airport and take me to my dorm.

Other services that eased my mind before departing were the guide book Open London and the website Mobility International USA. It was amazing for me to see a guide like Open London, produced by the city and detailing all sorts of references and advice for navigating London with various disabilities. Mobility International is an organization that helps support individuals with disabilities in their quest to go abroad. On its site are narratives from students from all over the United States with many types of disabilities, talking about their successes and challenges traveling all over the world. Reading their stories encouraged me; if they could do it, I could do it. Mobility International also allowed me to correspond by email with a woman in a wheelchair who studied abroad in the United Kingdom and provided me with disability specific resources, like information on defending yourself from a wheelchair.

Though I planned as much as I could for my semester abroad, I was still anxious. I had the same fears as many of my peers. What would it be like? What if I got lost? How will I deal with the new culture? What if I got homesick?

But I also had fears about accessibility. As much as I planned, some aspects couldn't be worked through until I got there and tried them out. Some of these things were big things, like testing out public transit. I got on that plane to London excited — but also reminded myself to keep the most open mind possible and roll with the punches.

I was able to do just that. And it paid off, big time.

If there is one trait I think every study-abroad student should have, it would be flexibility. This is even more important when you are abroad in a wheelchair. Situations I have never dealt with before would arise in a moment's notice, and I had to deal with them instantly and as best as I could. Things did not always go the way that I had hoped. As the British would say, you must keep calm and carry on.

In all seriousness, life in London will constantly surprise you in both good and bad ways.

Take my experience riding the London bus system. Since the Tube is largely inaccessible to wheelchairs, the bus was free to me as a disabled rider (it was a great bragging point among my classmates). All London buses are equipped with ramps and a special spot for wheelchairs. The only restriction is one wheelchair passenger per bus. I took the bus everywhere — to classes, sightseeing, to swim practice, to see friends. It wasn't unusual to spend up to two hours a day riding the bus.

London is a huge city divided into 33 boroughs. It takes at least 30 minutes to an hour to get anywhere, not counting the unpredictable traffic or the time you spend waiting for the bus. While transportation issues are just a part of living in London, they were more noticeable in a wheelchair. Sometimes using the bus went off without a hitch. Other times, traffic made me very late. A few times, buses broke down on me and I had to find another one on the fly. Many times, I couldn't find the stop I needed. Always, everything worked out. I had to deal with being late. Other times, I had to resort to a cab. I learned to be flexible.

Londoners are among some of the most receptive and aware people I have ever encountered. If a stroller occupied the wheelchair spot on the bus, people always moved or even got off the bus to accommodate me. If I struggled to get up the ramp to the bus, people walking by on the street would push me up. Once, the ramp on a bus refused to lower. I expected the bus driver to pull away. Instead, he turned off the bus and enlisted the help of several passengers to lift me on and off the bus.

Sometimes, it was just not feasible to take a bus due to time constraints or too much distance to wheel between bus stops. All black taxicabs in London are accessible to average-sized manual wheelchairs, with fold-out ramps. One of the courses in which I enrolled, History of London, required the class to meet early in the morning in various locations. I always took cabs to history class and the College reimbursed me.

London was a constant learning experience. Things that worked well for me in Grinnell, like my motorized scooter, were not the best choice in London. I found the streets were extremely busy and narrow, and the hallways of the teaching site where we had classes could barely accommodate a scooter. The scooter that I rented, however, was very helpful for grocery shopping and running errands around my neighborhood. Most of the time, though, I used the manual wheelchair in London. I found that the chair worked much better in the narrow and always bustling streets, as well on the buses.

It was challenging to learn how to cross streets in London. Pedestrians in London do not have the right of way, so I had to remain alert and be sure to cross only at safe times. I had to wheel quickly to get across and not get stuck in the crowds. I had to make sure to be conscious of where all the curb cuts were, as they weren't always on every crossing.

I was grateful to have bought various backpacks, grocery sacks that hooked onto a scooter, and wheelchair storage compartments that were so useful to me in London. It was through planning what might work best and testing what actually did work best that I found what was most comfortable for each situation in London.

My study-abroad experience taught me many things. I was so amazed by the academic experiences and the places I got to see. I was able to attend all of the theatre, museums, and overnight traveling trips with all of my classmates; I never felt excluded from the group. During my semester abroad, the GIL program traveled to Stratford-upon-Avon, Bruges, Oxford, and the Lake District. On these trips, we traveled in large coach buses and stored my wheelchair underneath. With the exception of the Lake District, I stayed in a separate hotel than the other students due to accessibility. But I never felt like I missed out on any part of these trips by not staying with them. Our hotels were always close by, so it was easy to meet up with the students at the start of each day. I was always pleased with how easy the trips worked for me. There were challenges, like the cobblestone streets of Bruges, but the other students always worked together to assist me. They helped make what might seem inaccessible into an accessible and fun experience.

When we went to see plays at the various London theatres, I sat in wheelchair-seating areas. These areas were typically in a different location than where the other students sat, but we usually settled this by switching who sat next to me in the companion seat each time we went. Even Shakespeare's Globe Theatre had accessible seating, a platform that I could wheel up on to watch the play as a groundling. It was a dream come true for this English major!

I learned many things that I couldn't have learned in the classroom. What everyone tells you about study abroad is that you learn more about yourself than you do about academics. And honestly, it is true. My time in London is one of my proudest accomplishments to date. This is because it wasn't easy, but I worked through it. I gained skills that will serve me forever: how to navigate a big city; how to find directions on the computer and how to handle it when those directions aren't correct; how to use public transit; how to buy my own groceries, prepare my own meals, and to be completely independent and accountable for my life. This experience and the skills that I learned will keep serving me, because they are life skills. As I look towards a postgraduate life, I am so glad to have my London experience under my belt, because it gave me a great deal of confidence to see what else is out there in the world.

For me, a huge plus for Grinnell was having a roommate during the first two years. Other schools I considered had wheelchair-accessible rooms, but they were single rooms. I knew that having a roommate was a part of the college experience that I didn't want to miss out on just because I needed an accessible room.

The accessible dorm rooms in Cowles Hall are really incredible. I lived in these rooms my first and second years. There was more than enough room to park my scooter inside and use my manual wheelchair in the room. The window blinds are remote-controlled and very easy to use. The room is air-conditioned. The door has opener buttons on the inside; and from the outside, I opened the door using a small button remote that I kept on my keychain.

There is an accessible washer and dryer in the Cowles facilities management closet, which is right next to the dorm room. I was given a special door remote so that only the students who needed this service could access it.

These North Campus rooms have a fully accessible shower and large bathroom inside them. The toilet and shower are equipped with metal grip bars, the shower has a fold-down bench, and the showerhead is a wand. The bathroom is very nice and I missed it when I went home on breaks because it was nicer than what I had at home!

For my junior and senior years, I decided that I would like a single room. I now live in Kershaw Hall on the East Campus. I live in what would be a double room, but for me it is a single because my scooter and wheelchair simply cannot fit in a regular single. This room has the same opener button and keychain remote button system as my other dorm.

Living in Kershaw, I use the dorm bathrooms for the entire floor because my room does not have its own bathroom. It was important to me that the floor I lived on had specific men and women's bathrooms, instead of gender-neutral bathrooms. This was arranged and I never feel uncomfortable or like I am keeping anyone waiting for the shower because it takes me longer. The Kershaw bathroom has a handicapped-accessible bathroom stall and a large accessible shower stall with a door that locks. The showerhead is a wand, and there is a bench and metal grip bars. The stall is large enough that I can wheel in, lock the door, and park my chair without it getting wet from the shower. This makes it easier to change after the shower, too.

I also use the Kershaw hall laundry rooms. They are in the basement and there is an elevator to get to them (and all the floors of Kershaw). The washers are all at eye level, but there are two rows of dryers, one row of bottoms and one of top.

My classroom accommodations in college are based on what I had in high school. I definitely recommend getting classroom accommodations if you qualify or have used them in the past. Sometimes students think they won't need them, so they don't get them. If you don't end up needing them, that's perfectly fine, but it's easier to decide not to use them than it is to decide halfway through the semester that you wish you had them.

All accommodations are arranged in a completely confidential way among you, the student affairs office, and the professors with whom you share your needs. No one else will know about your accommodations unless you decide to share that information.

My needs are minimal and I've gotten pretty good at figuring out what classes I will need accommodations in. I type my written tests on a computer and use extra time during exams. To do this, I use the testing room in the Student Affairs Office, which has the computer and a proctor to track your extra time. About a week before the test, I email to request a time to use the room. I notify my professor what time I'll be taking the test; it is delivered to the proctor beforehand and the proctor returns it to the professor when I'm done.

Accommodations like this are arranged through Joyce Stern, dean of student academic support and advising. After meeting with her, you receive a set of letters that you can give to professors explaining your needs and accommodations. It makes it easier to explain certain accommodations; for example, I simply explain to them what my Livescribe pen is, and that I use it to record lectures.

A guide to the aide options available in Grinnell: Student aide, professional aide, and personal hires.

Finding personal care attendants is never an easy process. The difficult aspect of the whole process is finding people that are reliable, punctual, and most importantly, trustworthy. But the real question is: How does one go about finding aides? There are a variety of different options—such as hiring fellow students, hiring a company, or hiring independent aides—all with their positives and their drawbacks.

When I first came to Grinnell, I didn’t want outside aides coming in to help me, for fear of being labeled “odd” or an “outsider” by neighbors in my residence hall. A student at another university I visited required around-the-clock aid and so he created an aide system of 10 aides, rotating them on a daily basis. If one of his aides was sick or unavailable, he had at least two that could fill in for the absent aide. The most remarkable aspect of this system was that all the aides were students, not professionals, a system I wanted to copy.

I don’t need nearly as much help as he did, so I figured I could hire three students, having two main student aides and one backup. In hindsight, this was an incredibly stupid and naïve idea. It was stupid because your floor mates .don’t care if you have aides; in fact, your aides are rarely seen. It was naïve because the other student’s system had one key difference: He attended a major university, with a graduate program in medicine and nursing, which is where his aides came from. Here in Grinnell, we do not have any form of graduate program. While Grinnellians are incredibly helpful, they are not an ideal source of aides. You need to explore other aide options.

One seemingly simple way to find aides is to hire a company that provides nursing care. This is usually an option in most cities, Grinnell included. The key advantage of this option is that because you are hiring a company, nursing personal are already trained and have experience with personal care. All of these nurses have had background checks and essentially any other measures to ensure they are reliable and trustworthy. Thus, much of the hard work is already done for you and finding aides is simple.

However, there are distinct drawbacks to hiring aides through a company. Overall, I found these companies to be very structured and inflexible. For example, I personally need very little aide help, roughly 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon. However, these companies, generally, would not provide this minimal amount of care, and usually required that I pay for at least a two-hour session in the morning and in the afternoon. Moreover, on top of this requirement, the sheer price of the services was absolutely astronomical. Each day would end up costing me upwards of $200 a day, or more than $6,000 a month, a price I simply could not afford. Thus, unless you have a fair amount of money, are willing to pay the price, and need a substantial amount of help, these companies are not ideal.

Since these companies were not an option for me, I had to look elsewhere for aide help. I chose to find my own aides, conducting my own interviews and background checks. To begin, I bought an ad in the local paper, advertising: a) I was a Grinnell College student; b) what type of aide I would be needing (i.e. house cleaning, help with personal care, etc.); and c) how much time each session would require. I did not specify in the ad how much I was looking to pay per session because I wanted to discuss that individually with each potential aide.

I received a fair amount of inquiries about my ad. I set up a day to travel to Grinnell and scheduled each potential aide for an interview. I held the interviews in the College’s Spencer Grille, mainly because I wanted to be in an informal, relaxed atmosphere. I knew I wanted to see a few distinct qualities in each aide. I asked each candidate if there were any specific personal obligations that could conflict with working with me. I wanted to know that I could count on them to be able to help me when they were scheduled to help me. I asked was if their schedule was flexible—specifically if they could work either mornings, afternoons, or both. I also wanted to know if I had an emergency, after scheduled hours, would they would be able to assist me? This has only happened twice during my time at Grinnell, but it is an important aspect to take into consideration.

Another key element in the interview process was deciding on how much to pay my aides. I did some research on other people who hired personal aides, and the typical pay per session was $10-$15, depending on the city. I wanted to stay more at the $10-per-session wage. I offered this wage to the two people I wanted to hire and both gladly accepted. I also asked them how they would like to be paid, either bi-monthly or monthly, and both ultimately wanted to be paid each month.

Finding personal care aides is a challenging task. It takes a large investment of time to find the right people for the job. Ultimately, I found that hiring my own aides from the community was more cost-effective and flexible than hiring aides through a company. My aides are more like family than employees, and in the end, I think that is ideal—having a group of people who care a great deal about you and your well-being, and who will be trustworthy and reliable during your time at Grinnell or any other institution.

A guide: Who to contact when your residence hall room needs modifications or something breaks down.

Contact: Laura Gogg (Technical Assistant II), Ext. 3713 or GOGGLAU1@grinnell.edu

Facilities Management (FM): Ext. 3300

One of the many great aspects of Grinnell is the two specially-equipped handicapped-accessible residence halls. These residence halls in Grinnell are some of the best you’ll find in any college in the country. Along with these great residence halls, the College’s housing department is remarkable as well, primarily for its attention to detail. When I first arrived in Grinnell, we went through my future residence hall room to see if any modifications needed to be made. The room’s door was converted into a powered door, which I can open with a simple click of a button. Moreover, the blind shades were modified to be automatic, opening and closing with the push of a button, and the shower in my bathroom was modified (yes, each room has its own bathroom). The housing department did a fantastic job at modifying my room to my specific needs.

The Housing Department is also quick and receptive to fixing any problem that you may have with your room. For example, in the three years I have been here, my door has broken down twice. Each time, I simply emailed the housing contact, and facilities management was immediately notified of my problem, and my door was fixed the same day, and if not the same day, the next. Housing even set up a backup plan if I needed to leave my room and could not open my door because it was broken. I’ve also had minor problems with my bathroom over the years, and again the problem was fixed promptly. Many times, my emails to the housing contact are answered almost immediately, which showcases the responsive nature of Grinnell in general. I’m not sure of any other institution with such a responsive and compassionate housing department.

A guide to navigating through Grinnell in bad weather, specifically: Requesting use of the accessible van, working with facilities management to identify your main class routes, and contacting security in emergency cases.

Student Health and Counseling Services: Ext. 3230
Security: Ext. 4600
Facilities Management (FM): Ext. 3300

One of the few drawbacks of Iowa is the weather, primarily during the winter months, which some years never seem to want to end. Wheelchairs, snow and ice just don’t mix. It’s a pain and in some instances dangerous, especially if you slide into a snow bank and get stuck. Thus, getting to class can seem near impossible depending on the amount of snowfall. With this worry in mind, Grinnell offers an accessible van to transport you to class if the snowfall is too great and the sidewalks are blocked. The van can also be used if it is raining heavily and you do not want to risk flooding your wheelchair battery. To use this service, you simply have to call Student Health and Counseling Services and request the accessible van. Usually, Student Health and Counseling Services likes an hour’s notice to prep the van to transport you. With snow, this is easily done, since you usually know in advance, if there is a large amount of snowfall on the ground. However, heavy rain can begin at a moment’s notice, not allowing you to give an hour’s notice. If this occurs, you can still call Student Health and Counseling Services and state that the van is urgently needed.

There are two other aspects of getting around Grinnell in bad weather. If you ever find yourself stuck in a snow bank, in mud, or if your chair simply breaks down, you can always call security and describe your urgent situation. Luckily, I have never had to do this, but it is always comforting to know that it is an option. Another important suggestion is to get to know the facilities management personal. Before the winter months begin, I usually talk with facilities management to map out my usual routes to class. With this in mind, facilities management highlights my route as a top priority and tries to keep it clear of snow and ice to the best of its ability. I’ve had numerous FM personal ask me during the winter months if I am having any issues getting around the campus—just another example of the extremely caring and compassionate nature of the Grinnell community.

A guide to available dining accommodations and how to order food from the dining hall during bouts of bad weather.

Dining Services: Ext. 3661

The dining hall can be a difficult place to navigate, depending on what type of wheelchair you use. If you use a manual wheelchair, balancing your food tray and wheeling around is next to impossible to do, unless you have some insane balancing skills, which I certainly do not possess. If you use a power chair, it is possible to balance your food tray on your armrests; whenever I’ve done that, I’ve always felt that I was going to drop my tray, and balancing a drink was especially difficult. To solve this dilemma, the dining hall offers a service in which an attendant will carry your tray and help you get any food you wish. All you have to do is ask the front attendant for help with your tray, and he or she will call someone to come and assist you. Since Grinnell hosts such a small and helpful community, many times the front attendant will call for someone to assist you as you walk into the dining hall. During my time here, I’ve gotten to know all the attendants very well, and they are always ready to assist me as I enter the dining hall. They are so helpful and caring that many of them can actually guess what I will have to eat based on the menu!

However, getting to the dining hall can be a problem, particularly during the winter months if there is heavy and constant snowfall. Until my third year at Grinnell (2010-11), the dining hall had no real back-up plan for this type of problem. The only type of “solution” was to have a friend take your p-card and pick you up an Outtake from the Spencer Grill, not always an ideal option. However, I worked with the dining hall to devise a real solution. Now, if you find yourself unable to get to the dining hall, you can call the dining hall directly order the food (since the dining menu is available online). Then, you can either have a friend pick up your food or have a dining hall attendant bring it directly to your dorm room.

A guide to: getting involved in student government and forms of student advocacy.

SGA Administrative Coordinator: SGA1@grinnell.edu
SGA website

Like many institutions, Grinnell has its own Student Government Association, or SGA. However, Grinnell’s SGA is unique in that it boasts a large budget, with this budget at the complete discretion of the student-elected SGA cabinet and senators. All student-led activities, such as theme parties, movies, concerts, and other groups such as club sports and volunteer organizations, are funded by SGA. Because of this, SGA is a key organization of student advocacy and opinion, since SGA is also closely linked with the administration. SGA is a crucial key to advocating for issues such as accessibility and disability awareness.

I’ve been a senator within SGA for the past year. Whenever a student leader or group proposes a budget to SGA for an event/club/volunteer opportunity, etc., the budget comes before the entire SGA group, cabinet and senators combined, and it is either approved, disapproved, or amended (some items are eliminated, the price is adjusted, etc.). As I sat through these budget proposals, I began to notice a flaw: Some of these events, which were meant to be “all-campus events,” were held in handicapped-inaccessible locations, even when they could have been held in accessible locations. The inaccessible events included the pre-and post-parties for the Winterer and Spring Waltz held at the end of each semester. SGA funds appetizers and desserts for these parties. However, while there are usually two to three pre-parties, with at least one accessible party, there is only one post-party, traditionally held in Younker Hall, which is completely inaccessible. When this budget came to SGA, I questioned why so called “all-campus events” were continually held in inaccessible areas, which conflicts with the ideal of providing a memorable experience for everyone. This motion was met with such strong support from my fellow senators that the event location was changed. The following semester, I created a resolution that every SGA-funded event must be held in an accessible location, with exceptions granted if the group has a valid argument to hold it in an inaccessible location. This was met with a tremendous amount support and the resolution was passed. Since the passing of the resolution, SGA has been very active and adamant about making sure that every event is held in accessible location.

Grinnell’s community has always been an active and vibrant one. In the years I have been here, the community has become more and more aware of accessibility issues and has strived to make everything more accessible for everyone. They key thing to remember, however, is that you have to voice your opinion. If I didn’t voice my opinion and create my resolution, events might not be as accessible as they are now. The Grinnell community is incredibly receptive and caring, but it is up to you, as a fellow student and community member, to point out flaws and help create solutions.

Joyce Stern: Ext. 3702 or STERNJM@grinnell.edu

Ann Isgrig: ISGRIGA@grinnell.edu

The staff in the Academic Advising Office do an amazing job of working with students needing academic accommodations. I encourage you to talk to Joyce Stern, Dean for Student Success and Academic Advising, as soon as possible if you think you need specific accommodations in order to flourish in your studies. She and Ann Isgrig support students with disabilities in a variety of ways.

Karen McRitchie: MCRITCHI@grinnell.edu

Karen McRitchie does a remarkable job working with students needing assistive technology to help with their course work. There is a wide range of assistive technology available.