Multiple, high-profile incidents of disability discrimination at the University of Michigan during the past few years have highlighted the need for increased education and awareness about the experiences of people with disabilities on campus. In response to these events, interviews were conducted over the past year across campus to assess the social and academic climate for students with disabilities.
Participants frequently noted feeling isolated because of their disability and found it challenging to identify ability-friendly people and offices. Many participants were afraid to disclose their disability because of a fear of discrimination and stigma, even when disability disclosure was necessary for appropriate accommodations. The findings of these interviews have informed planning and development of a large-scale social academic intervention, the Allies for Ability Program, to promote ability-friendly safe space in the University of Michigan and surrounding communities. People who complete the initial 1 day training can identify as Allies for Ability and display the Allies for Ability logo to publicly identify themselves or their office as ability-friendly.
Partnerships have been formed with living facility leadership and student organizations across campus to promote the Allies for Ability Program in the upcoming academic year, and these partnerships will help to build an ability-friendly social and academic climate on campus. Expansion of the Allies for Ability Program into Michigan communities, the development of career area specific ability-sensitivity trainings, and a focus on supporting success within the Allies for Ability community will further support the promotion of the cultural ideological transformation that underscores the Allies for Ability Program.
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