What happens when an organization that convenes one of the largest gatherings of the disability community offers you an exhibit table at their national conference in Washington, DC? You invite all of your local supporters, partners, and friends to come staff it!
Thanks to the generosity of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), which is a member of NCDE’s Roundtable Consortium of international education and disability organizations, NCDE was able to assemble several of our DC-based partners and supporters to staff an “International Opportunities” table at the NCIL Annual Conference (find more about the conference below). This table included representatives of IREX, Global Ties U.S., the Fund for Education Abroad, AFS-USA, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and World Learning. We also had several international exchange alumni and international education professionals who identify as people with disabilities themselves help staff the table!
Together, we were able to distribute information about the many possibilities for study abroad, professional development abroad, hosting international visitors, and citizen diplomacy with NCIL’s attendees! Many of the exhibitors from the above organizations expressed an appreciation for the opportunity to be part of an event of the disability community, including learning from disabled people’s experiences with international travel to making materials more accessible and approachable to them. Find some of their observations and reflections below about the impact that the experience had on both NCIL attendees and international exchange professionals alike!
Engaging with Visitors to the Table
- “There’s such a spectrum in terms of what the attendees thought of travel and their ability to travel, especially abroad. Some didn’t think it was an option. Others had been everywhere! I spoke with several people who worked with younger folks with disabilities who will be attending college soon, and they were really interested in learning about Gilman, Fund for Education Abroad, Fulbright, etc. to share with their students. One woman told me, ‘My students don’t see the limits on the world like I did.’ That’s stuck with me.” – Angela Schaffer, Executive Director, Fund for Education Abroad
- “Most attendees were not familiar with MIUSA/NCDE but were thrilled that students with disabilities are being encouraged to go abroad. I talked with a college student who was very excited to be studying abroad in Uganda and uses a wheelchair. In contrast, I also talked to an older attendee who uses a wheelchair and said she would have loved to have been able to study abroad in a different culture when she was younger, but it did not seem feasible at the time, and others did not think she could. She told me about how the ability to rent power wheelchairs has changed travel for her, and now she has some upcoming travel in a few African countries.” – Natalie Rehberger, Sponsored Programs Hosting Specialist, AFS-USA
- “I talked to a few folks who worked in disability services offices on university campuses. I had a particularly long conversation with someone who was interested in hearing about collaborative ways they could reach out and work together with their international offices on campus to get more of their students abroad. I also talked to several folks who didn’t realize international travel was something that was an option for them… The most common question was about resources for students to go abroad. I was glad to be able to share brochures for MIUSA/NCDE as well as for the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship.” – Lauren Newton, Director of Professional Development Programs, NAFSA
Tips and Lessons Learned from Tabling at NCIL
- “I learned a LOT about making materials for people who are visually impaired. In addition to the braille guides, which were incredibly popular, I learned that we should put something tactile near our QR codes so people will know where to scan. LED lights are not great for people with certain visual impairments, and we should also steer clear of neon anything in our print materials.” – Angela Schaffer, Executive Director, Fund for Education Abroad
- “[It’s a good idea] to learn more about the demographics of event attendees in advance. For example, are there a lot of folks who work on college campuses or in other support roles? I did some Googling before coming.” – Lauren Newton, Director of Professional Development Programs, NAFSA
Parting Words
- “Overall, I’d say I learned more than I shared by being at NCIL. I loved hearing from the attendees about where they’d been and what things they’re thinking about when they do travel. Many of the folks seemed just excited to hear that there were scholarships and travel opportunities and resources made with folks with disabilities in mind. Personally, it made me want to do even more work to raise funds for our scholarship for students with disabilities. And to work with partners to make sure opportunities are open for those students to study abroad… I had a fantastic time tabling at NCIL. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!” – Angela Schaffer, Executive Director, Fund for Education Abroad
- “It was impactful to see how moved attendees were by [the possibilities of] international opportunities. Most of the attendees had not studied abroad themselves and wished they had had the opportunity when they were younger. They also wished that others had seen them as capable of studying abroad. There was a general feeling of appreciation that the world is becoming more accessible, in part thanks to all of the changemakers in the disability space attending the conference.” – Natalie Rehberger, Sponsored Programs Hosting Specialist, AFS-USA
Thanks to NCIL for providing an exhibit table and thanks to those who shared their time, resources, and enthusiasm while staffing it! We encourage more international education professionals to attend disability-focused conferences, and vice versa, to bridge these two communities further!
Resources
Couldn’t make it to the NCIL conference or the International Opportunities Table this year? No problem!
Find the NCDE brochure online here.
Learn more about the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship here.
Other questions? Contact NCDE at clearinghouse@miusa.org
About NCIL’s Annual Conference
NCIL’s Annual Conference is designed to provide peer support, organizing, advocacy, and learning opportunities. It is the largest Independent Living event of the year. NCIL regularly hosts over 1,000 people, including grassroots advocates, Independent Living Center leaders, members of Congress, government officials, and representatives from other organizations that work for justice and equity for people with disabilities.
About NCDE
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) promotes the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange between the U.S. and other countries. The NCDE is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and is administered by Mobility International USA (MIUSA). Learn more about NCDE and our resources.
