Myths about accessibility overseas One of the major activities of the grant was collecting information on accessibility of overseas sites via an Access Assessment form. In Venezuela for example, we found that physical accessibility is not necessarily what a student would find in the U.S., but the culture is supportive. A student with a mobility disability may find that elevators are lacking, but it may be perfectly natural for fellow students to carry a friend upstairs. Similarly, even though there were no curb cuts in the Mexican city where one of our students studied, the culture's help ethic meant that the student received the assistance he needed. Thomas Komm lent his European perspective to the discussion.
Many European countries seem to have a reputation for being inaccessible.
At the same time, many countries can have a very open and accepting attitude toward disability. In Marburg, for example, an accessible dormitory has been built for disabled students. The standards for wheelchair ramp gradients in the U.S. may not hold true in other countries, and there may not be the same sense of independence for students with physical disabilities. Dispelling legal fears When it comes to disability and study abroad, legal issues are inevitably part of the discussion. There was a great hunger to know exactly what was required by the ADA and what actions institutions needed to take.