Welcome!

The mission of the President’s Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities is to promote empowerment and inclusion of students, faculty and staff and guests with disabilities at the University of New Hampshire. The Commission acknowledges that people with disabilities are a diverse group that includes individuals with visible and non-visible disabilities.

The Commission shall provide a forum for discussion and assessment of disability-related issues and opportunities that are relevant for the campus and larger community. In addition, the Commission shall advise the President, Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Inclusive Excellence and the Director of Affirmative Action and Equity on disability–related issues, policies, services, attitudes and practices on campus. This mission is motivated by the belief that people with disabilities are assets to our community, adding value and diversity to our living, working and learning environment.

News and Announcements

UNH recognized for its accessible campus, policies, programs and services by State of New Hampshire (read more)
Accessible Wildcat Transit Bus Stops
Read the findings of the UNH Staff Survey to assess the prevalence of, and climate for, UNH employees with disabilities.
Chronicle of Higher Education "Breaking Down the Barriers Seen and Unseen" (read the article)
New Accessibility Map available to help individuals with walking disabilities navigate campus
More than 11% of NH's population reports having a disability, read more in the Facts & Figures: The 2011 Annual Report on Disability in New Hampshire, from UNH's Institute on Disability
Connections Newsletter, a publication of the Four President’s Commissions
UNH Alum "Dog Helps Blind Man Scale the Heights"
Family starts scholarship fund for UNH student-athletes with disabilities

Other President's Commissions

Features

The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal

Wednesday, Nov 6, 2013
7:00pm, MUB, Granite State Room

Meet Jonathan Mooney, co-founder of Project Eye to Eye, a mentoring program that teaches adults and older teenagers with learning disabilities to act as mentors for young children who have similar disabilities. His most recent book, "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal", chronicles his journeys across the country in a “short bus”—that enduring symbol of special education—to find people like him, those with ADHD and dyslexia who were once labeled abnormal but who have learned to live in wonderfully original ways. Jon lays out LD/ADHD as a civil rights issue, pushing us away from our present “special education” model toward reforming our whole educational system. For more information on Jonathan Mooney (click here). Program sponsored by MUB, Health Services and President's Commission on the Status of Peole with Disabilities.

Out of the Ashes: Learning to Survice in a Changing World

Wednesday, Nov 13, 2013
7:00pm
MUB, Strafford Room

Michael Hingson is the author of "Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero". Hingson, was working in Tower One of the World Trade Center when it collapsed and he and his guide dog led several people to safety. He is now the national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign and is an international speaker presenting on the topics of trust, teamwork, leadership, diversity and inclusion. A graduate of the University of California (Irvine) and a cum laude graduate with a master's degree in physics, Hingson also worked with Dr. Raymond Kurzweil who developed the Kurzweil Reading Machine for the blind. For more information on Michael Hingson (click here). Program sponsored by MUB, Health Services and President's Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.

BEST BUDDIES STUDENT GROUP

Best Buddies UNH meets monthly and holds organized group events for all members. Members who decide to be 'college buddies' are matched in a one to one friendship with an individual with an intellectual and or developmental disability(a buddy). It is the responsibility of the college buddy to meet face to face with their buddy one other time per month aside for the group event and contact their buddy once a week via email, facebook, texting, etc. All activities take place on the UNH campus. Best Buddies is an international non-profit organization dedicated to establishing opportunities for one to one friendships, social participation, and inclusion for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Find out more Wildcat Link and National web site

iPod and iPad Apps & Android Apps

Disability Services for Students has put together a listing of several apps available to assist students including:

Ace your classes is a free app that has some features similar to iStudiez Pro. It is a good basic app for organizing your terms, courses and daily calendar but it also has the additional benefit of note-taking with the app.

Vlingo Virtual Assistant: Free Voice Activation for Android phones

iAnnotate: Read, annotate, and share PDFs.

Any.Do for Android: You can add tasks by voice, manage them with simple gestures, and even use its predictive features to instantly add common tasks to your to-do list

For a complete list and more information go to Disability Services for Students

The Diversity of People with Disabilities

Students, faculty and staff talk about their experiences as individuals with a disability at UNH.

President's Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities