College brings forth all kinds of emotions. Excitement, fear, and anxiety are normal feelings for any person entering college. Students with disabilities are gaining access to higher education more than other years. Accessibility laws have greatly helped, but some students require more than just access to be successful. Some need attendant care services.
Going to college is a must for many people with disabilities. Manual labor isn’t possible for people with significant disabilities. During high school, I knew I wanted to attend college. I researched colleges that had the most disability services. I wanted to live as independent as I possible. A typical college student usually goes away to college and lives in a dorm. Having a disability creates a dilemma for independent living. Luckily, I heard about a university in Pennsylvania that catered to people with disabilities.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Changed My Life
The Edinboro University of Pennsylvania gave students with disabilities an open door opportunity to earn a college degree, learn independent living and give a full college experience. Edinboro offered 24 hours of attendant care, meal aides, van transportation and academic assistants for over 40 years. They offered everything that a student with a severe disability needed to be successful. They didn’t have to worry about how they could go to the bathroom, get dressed, eat meals and get around the campus on bad weather days.
I have wonderful memories of Edinboro University. Unfortunately, it was six hours from my house and in the middle of a snow belt. Other than those negatives, I don’t have any regrets about attending Edinboro. I had deep worries if I could even go to college. My father was my primary caregiver and dropping me off at college, picking me up and assisting me write my homework would have been impossible. It’s doubtful that I would even get a college degree if I could have went to college.
The independence that I had gained at college is irreplaceable. I learned how to ask others for help and time manage my care. A great college book bag hung on my wheelchair. Learning how to get along with several personalities, sense of humor and ways each attendant handled my care were lessons needed.
The beauty of Edinboro University is that personal care attendants are there to help 24/7. Why is that so important? Well, safety is the number one reason. Fires, bathroom needs, and sickness can all occur during the night. I know I needed assistance during the night and felt grateful that someone was available to help me.
Advantages of attendant care
I also know that the life of a college students is unpredictable. There are clubs, study sessions, sororities, fraternities, and socializing. I always felt safe knowing that if I wanted to be out late at night with a friend that when I came back to my dorm, someone could help me get ready for bed. During my last semester, I had a student teaching position about forty-five minutes away. I needed to wake up and get ready at 5 in the morning. Thanks to Edinboro University’s attendant care program, I knew that someone was always going to be available to help me get ready.
By not having to worry about personal care, I feel that I could concentrate on studying and doing my work. Unfortunately, Edinboro University is planning to end the attendant care program and have each student responsible to find their own attendants. Obviously, several students are upset, and they’re banding together to try to overturn this decision.
My heart breaks for the students who might be losing the wonderful 24/7 personal care services. I hope that there will be a fair resolution.
originally published cerebral palsy news today by Jessica Grono
