Colleges participating in the Global Partners Project are working to increase the number of their students that study abroad. At the same time they are dealing with increasing numbers of students with medical, psychological, or learning disabilities. These students often encounter obstacles to off-campus study, including liability worries, medical needs, and cross-cultural misunderstandings.

The workshop attracted sixteen participants, including six off-campus study directors, five disability services officers, a faculty member, an associate dean, an executive with a off-campus program provider, and two consortial staff. This mixture made for a rich discussion, bringing together people who sometimes do not regularly interact on their home campuses.

We started by listing the issues associated with disability issues and off-campus study. The participants then broke out into two groups, discussing issues important on-campus (before the student leaves) and off-campus (once the student gets to the site). Finally, the group discussed what resources might useful as campuses try to increase the number of students with disabilities who study off-campus. They also shared a variety of online resources.

Here are some general lessons learned through the workshop.

The obstacles are significant but not insurmountable. Throughout the workshop many stories were told about students who faced significant obstacles when they studied abroad. There are conflicts with host families who might not understand students' medication. Finding internship mentors can be a challenge. Formal pedagogical styles common in many cultures might not be a good fit for American students used to a more student-centered learning style. Some cultures do not recognize learning disabilities as a "legitimate" disability. But almost each story concluded with how that student overcame the obstacle, either independently or with institutional help. The most successful solutions came through creativity and advance preparation. Participants also agreed that relationships with on-site institutions and people is crucial, so well-established programs are more likely to find accommodation.

Psychological and learning disabilities are significant--more than many people might realize. When we first started planning the workshop, we focused on physical disabilities. It soon became clear, however, that psychological and learning disabilities were the larger concern. One study suggests that 80% of the students with disabilities who go abroad have learning or psychological issues. Those issues include depression or bipolar, eating disorders, personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictions, or anxiety. Participants agreed that these problems may be exacerbated by culture shock.

Issues of disclosure and confidentiality are complex. Disclosure and confidentiality are educationally, ethically, legally and emotionally tricky issues. The disability service people told us that legally students do not have disclose their disabilities or required accommodation when applying. Even after acceptance, they may hesitate to disclose, either because they don't want to be excluded or because they want to test or demonstrate their independence. The best course seems to target pre-departure planning to all students, so that students with disabilities will be reached, whether they disclose or not.

It is essential to get all students to think carefully about going off-campus. It became apparent that good advising is crucial for any students going off-campus, disabled or not. Several disability service officers argued that students' concerns are best handled case-by-case. Every student and situation is unique. Often students know what to do for themselves after a lifetime of adjusting to their surroundings. We cannot make decisions for them. But they need to know what obstacles they might face abroad before they can come up with their own solutions. Thus, preparing students before they go is crucial. We proposed coming up with a document that could be given to each student considering going abroad, asking them what kind of experience they are looking for and what they might need--location, pedagogical style, housing, etc. It would make students think about themselves and determine what questions they need to ask about programs. We also need to prepare all students before they leave to be ready for a challenging experience. Since much of off-campus study is about cross-cultural education, part of the experience is to live and be treated like you were one of the local people. We constantly need to remind students that the off-campus site will not be like home. They may not find the accommodations there they have gotten used to on campus.

It is essential to prepare faculty before they lead students off-campus. Just as students need good advising before going abroad, faculty need preparation before taking students off-campus. They will not have other campus people as resources, so they need to think about what it means to be "dean of students" for everyone involved, and to be prepared for potentially emotional issues. Important issues include: