CHALLENGES FACING PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES TO STUDY AND WORK IN THE GEOSCIENCES

Assistive devices and accommodations are necessary to address the needs of individuals with mobility disabilities, primarily related to daily living. These are items such as wheelchairs, home medical equipment, appropriate barrier-free housing, home-help personal care services, and transportation. These accommodations are critical to one’s ability to participate as a student or maintain a career. Problems of funding and obtaining the devices or services, especially from public sources, can severely impact full inclusion and participation in a classroom setting. First-hand experiences reveal that the real barriers to increasing participation of people with disabilities are more related to meeting these needs that are external to the geosciences than what has been encountered from within the discipline. Based on such first-hand experiences of physical impairments that require establishment of daily routines and accommodation through assistive technologies and support services, this presentation will describe the transition of life as a physically capable geology graduate student to a mobility impaired student, instructor, and faculty advisor. Through the use of multiple assistive technologies, inclusion into mainstream geoscience courses is not only possible, but allows for active participation in discussions and demonstrations.