SU Professor appointed to new state Interagency Council for Services to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing
7/21/2008
Michael Schwartz, Esq., Assistant Professor and Director of the Disability Rights Clinic at the College of Law has been appointed by Governor Paterson to a seat on the new state Interagency Council for Services to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing. Governor Spitzer signed the bill into law last July, and the agency is due to start operating in late summer.
9th Annual Second City Conference on Disability Studies in Education - Righting Educational Wrongs: Disability Studies in Education, Policy & Law
7/17/2008
9th Annual Second City Conference on Disability Studies in Education
in partnership with the
Syracuse University Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies
Conference on Disability Studies and Law
May 1-3, 2009
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Righting Educational Wrongs: Disability Studies in Education, Policy & Law CALL FOR PAPERS This jointly sponsored conference will explore the relationship between disability studies in education, policy and law. The conference is co-sponsored by Disability Studies in Education, the Syracuse University Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies, the SU College of Law Disability Law and Policy Program, and the SU School of Education.
Disability Studies involves the critical examination of the role of "normalcy" in society. It requires us to recognize, appreciate, and most importantly, value difference. To the extent that legal education examines how to recognize, legitimate, and allocate differences--different rights, responsibilities, resources, and even justice within society, Disability Studies provides a lens through which we can analyze the meaning of such differences within our legal and educational systems, and in the larger society. Further, putting law and disability studies in education in conversation provides a rich context from which to question issues of power, privilege, and to consider how differences are defined within education and legal systems.
Syracuse University is particularly well suited to host this precedent-setting conference. Syracuse University is home to one of the nation’s first graduate programs in Disability Studies and the first joint degree program in Law and Disability Studies. SU’s School of Education has been a pioneer in the inclusion and deinstitutionalization movements in the United States, making way for all learners to participate fully in schools and in the community.
The Disability Studies in Education (DSE), a special interest group of AERA, seeks to cultivate interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the phenomenon of disability. DSE is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship that engages in research, policy, and action that contextualizes disability within political and social spheres; privileges the interest, agendas, and voices of people labeled with disability/disabled people; promotes social justice, equitable and inclusive educational opportunities, and full and meaningful access to all aspects of society for people labeled with disability/disabled people; and rejects deficit models of disability.
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SU researcher dies unexpectedly at age 37
6/23/2008
SU researcher dies unexpectedly at age 37
Monday, June 23, 2008
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Kevin Morrow
(315) 443-3784
Todd Reynolds, a post-doctoral fellow at Syracuse University's Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies, died unexpectedly of natural causes Sunday (June 22) at his home in Syracuse. He was 37.
Reynolds had recently completed an advanced training project in rehabilitation research and disability policy co-directed by SU School of Education professors James Bellini and Steven J. Taylor and funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. At the time of his death, he was working on scholarly papers for presentation at conferences and publication in professional journals.
"Dr. Reynolds was a promising young scholar in Disability Studies," Taylor says, "and it's tragic that he will not be able to fulfill his potential."
"Todd was in the inaugural group of post-doctoral scholars with disabilities that we were able to recruit to SU," says School of Education Dean Douglas P. Biklen. "His premature death is terribly sad."
Reynolds specialized in the experiences of people with disabilities in natural disasters. His doctoral dissertation at the University of Oklahoma focused on how people with disabilities prepare for and cope with tornados and other severe weather in the Midwest. Reynolds earned a Ph.D. in geography at OU in 2007. From his arrival at SU in September 2007, he focused on how people with disabilities adapt to heavy snowfall. In conducting his research, Reynolds drew on his own experiences as a person with severe disabilities, including limited sight and hearing as well as mobility impairments.
This summer, Reynolds had been teaching the course "Geography of Disability" through University College and the Department of Geography in the Maxwell School.
Along with his Ph.D., Reynolds held two master's degrees from the University of Alabama.
He is survived by his father, William S. Reynolds of Marietta, Ga.; and three brothers--Shane Reynolds of Truckee, Calif.; Michael Stockton of Atlanta; and Matthew Stockton, who is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The funeral arrangements are private. The Center on Human Policy will hold an informal memorial service on July 9 at noon at the center, 805 S. Crouse Ave.
For those who desire, counseling is available from Hendricks Chapel (443-2901), the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (443-1087) and the Student Affairs Counseling Center (443-4715).
An online memorial for Todd has been created at:
http://toddreynoldsgeography.blogspot.com
School of Education's inaugural Centennial Professor Steven Taylor to develop new undergraduate disabilities studies program
6/4/2008
Steven J. Taylor, professor of cultural foundations and co-director of Syracuse University's Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies, has been named Centennial Professor in Disability Studies in the School of Education. Taylor’s appointment as the school’s first Centennial Professor is in recognition and appreciation of his pioneering scholarship in and commitment to the field of disability studies. Among Taylor’s duties as Centennial Professor will be the creation of an undergraduate Disabilities Studies program. The program, although housed within the School of Education, will be interdisciplinary in its outlook and operation.
In announcing this appointment, Douglas Biklen, dean of the School of Education, noted, “Steve has been one of the leaders internationally in establishing the field of disability studies, and so it is fitting that he will lead Syracuse faculty and students in creating an undergraduate disability studies program. In naming Steve Centennial Professor in Disability Studies, Syracuse University seeks to build on a historical tradition in disability research at the University.”
With partial support from the Syracuse University Chancellor's Initiatives, the professorship will invest in a series of activities including program development, public lectures, seed grants, film screenings and other activities that will enhance the University’s contributions to the interdisciplinary field of disability studies.
The new disabilities studies program will be an extension of Taylor’s life-long commitment to the field of disability studies. The program will offer undergraduate-level courses in the sociology of disability, disability rights, culture of disability, social policy and disability and representation of disability and ability. While the program will offer School of Education students the opportunity to make disability studies the focus of their undergraduate major, it also will allow undergraduates in schools and colleges across the SU campus to pursue minors in disability studies. In addition, this unique program aims to attract prospective students with disabilities and those who have had personal experience with people with disabilities.
“I’m honored to be appointed Centennial Professor, but more than anything else, this appointment will enable me—with the help of other faculty and students—to continue to build Syracuse University’s disability studies program,” says Taylor. “We had the first graduate disability studies program in the country. Now, it’s time to develop an undergraduate program. We hope to do on the undergraduate level what we’ve done in our graduate program—attract outstanding students to Syracuse University.”
Taylor will begin designing the undergraduate program this summer with University faculty members, administrators and students. The program will focus on policy, popular culture, social and cultural aspects of disability, and the relationship between disability and race, class, gender and sexuality. Students in the program will benefit from having the opportunity to study with prominent disability studies faculty members, with additional support from outstanding doctoral students and adjunct faculty who will be available to help with the program.
Taylor is a nationally recognized specialist in the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities. In addition to conducting research, Taylor provides training and technical assistance in the area of disabilities studies and has extensive experience in establishing community living arrangements for people with severe disabilities. Taylor is an authority on deinstitutionalization, school and community inclusion, disability policy, disability trends and controversies, and has written numerous books and articles on these topics. In recognition of his scholastic excellence, Taylor has received numerous awards and citations, including the American Association on Mental Retardation Research Award (1997); a visiting professorship at Keio University, Japan (1998); and the Syracuse University Chancellor’s Citation for Exceptional Academic Achievement (2003). Earlier this year, Taylor was presented the first Senior Scholar Award of the Society for Disability Studies.
Taylor holds a B.S. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. degree in sociology from Syracuse University. He worked at the University of Minnesota and Cornell University before becoming director of SU's Center for Human Policy in 1983. He was named co-director of the Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies in 2005.
New book on universal design in higher education co-edited by SU Disability Studies alumnus Rebecca Cory
6/1/2008
Now available from Harvard Education PressUniversal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice, Edited by Sheryl E. Burgstahler and SU Disability Studies Alumnus Rebecca C. Cory
Universal Design in Higher Education is a comprehensive guide for researchers and practitioners on creating fully accessible college and university programs. It is founded upon, and contributes to, theories of universal design in education that have been gaining increasingly wide attention in recent years. As greater numbers of students with disabilities attend postsecondary educational institutions, administrators have expressed increased interest in making their programs accessible to all students. This book provides both theoretical and practical guidance for schools as they work to turn this admirable goal into a reality. It addresses a comprehensive range of topics on universal design for higher education institutions, thus making a crucial contribution to the growing body of literature on special education and universal design. This book will be of unique value to university and college administrators, and to special education researchers, practitioners, and activists.
Universal Design in Higher Education looks at the design of physical and technological environments at institutions of higher education; at issues pertaining to curriculum and instruction; and at the full array of student services. It concludes with a thorough consideration of how to institutionalize universal design at higher education institutions.
For more information, visit:
http://www.hepg.org/hep/Book/83
School of Education's Taylor named the Society for Disability Studies first Senior Scholar
5/5/2008
Patrick Farrell
(315) 443-5421
The Senior Scholar Award Committee of Society for Disability Studies (SDS) has selected Steven Taylor, professor of cultural foundations of education in Syracuse University's
School of Education and director of SU's Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies, as the first recipient of the SDS Senior Scholar Award.
According to Bruce Henderson, professor of speech communication at Ithaca College and editor of
Text and Performance Quarterly, the award selection committee was uniformly laudatory about the breadth and depth of Taylor's scholarly work, the many strong contributions he has made to the field, and the importance of his presence as a leader in the field and the impact he has had.
"While all nominations were meritorious, there was passionate and articulate agreement that [Taylor] was a superb choice for the inaugural year of the award -- or any other year, for that matter," says Henderson.
The award will be formally presented to Taylor in June at the SDS conference in New York City.
Taylor is a specialist in the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities. He conducts research, provides training and technical assistance, and disseminates information on community living arrangements for people with severe disabilities.
He is a nationally recognized authority on deinstitutionalization, school and community inclusion, disability policy, disability trends and controversies, and disability studies, and he has authored numerous books and articles on these topics.
Taylor is previously recipient of the 1997 Research Award from the American Association on Mental Retardation.
The Society for Disability Studies is a scholarly organization that is dedicated to the cause of promoting the importance of disability studies as an academic discipline. SDS seeks to augment understanding of disability in all cultures and historical periods, to promote greater awareness of the experiences of disabled people, and to advocate for social change through research, artistic production, teaching and activism.
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UN CONVENTION HAS BEEN RATIFIED
4/3/2008
SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN HAILS ENTRY INTO FORCE OF TREATY ON DISABILITY RIGHTS
New York, Apr 3 2008 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the entry into force of the first international treaty on the human rights of persons with disabilities, after the required twentieth country ratified the landmark convention today.
"It is a historic moment in our quest for realization of the universal human rights for ALL persons, creating a fully inclusive society for all,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Marie Okabe said in a statement celebrating the rapid progress of the Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in December 2006.
“The Convention will be a powerful tool to eradicate the obstacle faced by persons with disabilities,” she said, pointing to discrimination, segregation from society, economic marginalization, and lack of opportunities for participation in social, political and economic decision-making processes.
Today’s ratification by Ecuador means that the Convention, along with an optional protocol that will allow individuals and groups to petition for relief, will be legally binding as of 3 May. Tunisia and Jordan also ratified the treaty earlier this week.
Through today’s statement, the Secretary-General also congratulated the States that have ratified or acceded to the Convention. Some 126 countries have signed the Convention since 30 March 2007, and 71 have signed the optional protocol.
“It is estimated that there are at least 650 million persons with disabilities worldwide, of whom approximately 80 percent live in less developed countries,” Ms. Okabe noted.
As many as two-thirds of United Nations Member States do not have any legal protection for people with disabilities, according to the UN Focal Point on Disability Akiko Ito, even though they comprise one in 10 of the global population.
“The Convention, together with its Optional Protocol, is deeply rooted in the firm commitment of the international community to rectifying the egregious neglect and dehumanizing practices that violate the human rights of persons with disabilities,” Ms. Okabe concluded, calling on all States that have not yet done so to accede or ratify it without delay.
In a statement issued this past weekend, more than 20 UN departments, agencies, programmes, and funds pledged their support to implementing the convention.
The newly-formed Inter-Agency Support Group for the Convention said that support will focus on six main areas: policies to support the purpose and objectives of the Convention; programmes including international cooperation; capacity-building of Member States, civil society, and the UN system; research and access to knowledge on disabilities; accessibility; and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Grassroots Self-Advocacy Group Development Training Continues into 2008
3/31/2008
With funding from the Florida Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, the Center on Human Policy at Syracuse University is continuing its Self Advocacy Grassroots Training Project in 2008 by training additional three groups from Florida in organizational development and capacity building. As part of this initiative, the Center on Human Policy is conducting a two-day Grassroots Self-Advocacy Group Development Training Institute on April 26-27, 2008 in Tampa, Florida.
Representatives from each of the three Florida self-advocacy groups will meet with a training team consisting of Center on Human Policy staff, Syracuse University students, consultants, and self-advocates from last year’s training institute who will present foundational information that will assist in the continued development of a grassroots self-advocacy movement in Florida.
For more information on Grassroots Self-Advocacy Group Development in Florida, go to:
http://www.floridaselfadvocacy.com/ This project is sponsored by The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities and the
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc.
Symposium on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Published
1/17/2008
The Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce (Volume 34, Spring 2007) has dedicated a Special Issue to the publication of articles that present various perspectives on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its potential to improve the lives of people with disablities in various countries and regions throughout the world.
This special issue of the Journal, edited by Professor Arlene Kanter, includes articles on the new UN Convention by renowned scholars and policy makers from around the world, including Ambassador Don MacKay, who chaired the UN Ad Hoc Committee and is credited with the successful resolution of the Convention negotitation and drafting process.
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Taishoff Family Foundation to Establish Center for Inclusive Education
8/1/2007
Capt. Robert Taishoff '86 A&S and Laurie Bean Taishoff '84 NEW have been inspired by their daughter Jacqueline to help educate society about the special skills, talents, and perceptions of young people with Down syndrome or autism.
To help achieve this goal, they've committed $1 million from the Taishoff Family Foundation to establish the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at Syracuse University's School of Education, in honor of Robert's father. Under the leadership of
Dean Douglas Biklen, the center will enable the school to attract expert faculty, host conferences and symposia, and become the primary destination for future educators studying Down syndrome and other conditions.
Vera House, Inc. announces new services for women with disabilities
2/15/2007
Vera House is working on a joint initiative with Arise to increase and improve community coordination around the intersection of domestic and sexual violence and women with disabilities. The Education and Technical Assistance Grant to End Violence Against Women with Disabilities will support an intensive, solution-focused partnership to improve community response to women who have disabilities and are survivors of sexual and/or domestic violence.
Vera House and Arise will partner with over twenty local organizations to identify specific gaps in service, barriers to safety and accessible support, and system inadequacies. Over the term of the grant, a 'Disability Task Force' will be developed as part of the Syracuse Area Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition, consult with community partners to review their policies, and offer free in-service training on improving service delivery for women with disabilities who are victims of violence. It
will be your commitment to these tasks and your agency's participation that will make this project a success, and will truly make a difference in this community.
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Center joins national disability groups in releasing statement on life-sustaining principles
10/31/2005
The Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies joins leaders and advocates across the country to endorse a statement of common principles on life-sustaining care and treatment for people with disabilities. This statement, developed through a consensus process among many leaders and advocates in our field, addresses the rights and interests of people with disabilities and their families in controlling the major decisions about their lives.
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