College campus for a person with Down syndrome

December 29, 2009

Here's one reason Micah Fialka-Feldman wants to live on his college campus,
instead of remaining at home with his parents: To get to college in the
morning, he takes the public bus near his home, then transfers to a second
bus. The trip takes about two hours.

Fialka-Feldman, 24, attends classes at Oakland University, as part of a
program for students like him, with intellectual disabilities. The campus is
about 20 miles from where he lives with his parents in Huntington Woods,
Mich.

A few years ago, Fialka-Feldman helped his younger sister Emma move into her
dorm room when she went off to college at Mount Holyoke. It gave him another
reason to want to live on campus: He thought he was missing out on an
important part of college life. But his school said because he was in a
special program and not a full-time student, he couldn't live on campus.

So Micah sued.

Early yesterday morning, his cell phone rang. It was his lawyer with the
news: He had won. "I'm happy and I'm proud," say Fialka-Feldman.

A U.S. District Court judge in Michigan ruled that Oakland University had
discriminated against Fialka-Feldman. The new school term starts Tuesday.
And Fialka-Feldman says he hopes to move into his new dorm room by Sunday.
He's got his computer, his radio and his bedding ready. He's got the posters
he wants to put on the wall, including ones with quotes from civil rights
leaders. One says: "A community that excludes one member is not a community
at all."

To live on campus, he says, "means I would have the full college life and
... I could go to Friday night things in the dorm, like Friday night
activities like a film night or like a basketball game and going out with
friends."

His father, Rich Feldman, adds: "The judge's decision is a wonderful victory
for Micah's dream to live in the dorm and a victory for so many other
students and folks with cognitive disabilities. Now it's their right to be
fully included in the college dormitory experience."

A spokesman for the university said officials there have not had time to
evaluate the decision. The school can appeal.

It's pretty common these days for kids with intellectual disabilities like
Down syndrome to go to their neighborhood schools and to be mainstreamed
with all the other kids. And when these disabled students finish high
school, they often want to go to college. In recent years, scores of
community colleges and universities have opened special programs and invited
students with intellectual disabilities to enroll. Oakland University has
been a pioneer in opening up to these students. But the colleges can't
always keep up with the rising expectations of disabled students and their
parents.

Fialka-Feldman takes regular classes, and students act as tutors to help him
follow along in class and keep up with his homework.

He has taken classes at Oakland since 2003 and the new term will be his last
on campus. "I'm taking a class on public speaking. And a class on
persuasion," he says.

He's already been pretty good at persuasion. In the course of fighting this
case, he has spoken twice to the school's board of trustees, and he pressed
his case in court. The university's study government voted to support
Fialka-Feldman's right to live on campus, and the student body president,
Kristin Dayag, was at his side at his court hearing earlier this month.

"Micah has really found his voice," says his mother, Janice Fialka. She
remembers when Micah was 2 or 3, and still didn't speak. "I remember vividly
asking the speech therapist, do you think that Micah will ever talk. And she
hesitated. And that hesitation, which was probably only four seconds, felt
like a lifetime," says Fialka, a social worker who now is a speaker on
disability issues. "And basically she was saying, 'We don't know.' And now
he's speaking in front of all kinds of people. So this is quite a journey of
surprise, and the importance of believing that every person has a gift and
should be supported in their dreams."

A generation ago, parents couldn't dream for their kids with disabilities.
Before the 1975 special education law, public schools weren't even required
to teach them - and about 1 million then didn't get any education at all.

Even today, lots of these kids aren't capable of going to college - and for
many of them the future remains bleak.

But Paul Marchand, with the advocacy group The Arc, says parents now have
higher expectations. "Parents want the best for their kids. They want their
kids to get a job; they want their kids to be as independent as possible.
They want society to accept them. They want their kids to be as typical as
all the other kids of their age, including going to a college."

Last year, Congress passed legislation that for the first time makes it
possible for people with intellectual disabilities to get federal college
loans - even if they're not in a full-time program.

www.podsangelsholidayparty.blogspot.com

The Annual Holiday Party for Cape Coral residence raising children with disabilities is underway...We need family's in need "referrals" to attend a fun filled holiday party co-sponsored with the Cape Coral Fire Department and lots of community support; complete with Santa and Mrs. Clause delivering gifts for all the children. Family's may call and rsvp themselves, please remember this is for Cape Coral families unless you are part of PODS Angels or the Cape Coral Fire Department and live outside the city of Cape Coral. Contact your local Fire Department to seek what they have planned for your area.

RSVP ONLY: Mary at 239-872-4778
PODS FAMILIES ...we co-host this party so all members from ANYWHERE are invited/welcome/put to work :o)...please rsvp with me as well.

Deadline to rsvp is December 7th...HURRY space is limited

December 20th, 2009

3 pm to 7 pm

Gifts provided by generous donations of Cape Coral residence, organized through the Cape Coral Fire Department.

Food is provided through Bob Evans Restaurant

Entertainment TBA

MEDIA COVERAGE WELCOME AND INVITED

Location:
Veterans of Foreign War
4709 Se 11th Pl, Cape Coral, FL
(239) 542-8463

2009 Holiday Party plans under way...watch for your email

Anyone wishing to attend please email RSVP so your family is included

REPSITE on BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!

SW Florida PODS Angels is hosting a respite for the MAD SHOPPERS...
Friday Nov. 27th 2009
MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CAPE CORAL KIWANIS RESPITE GRANT

5:00-5:30 am
drop-off and get instructions and contact information
5:30-6:30 am
Breakfast- bowl of Cheerios or rice crispies with 2% milk, medications (if needed)
6:30-8:30 am
Misc games, board games, Disney Wii games, singing, dancing
8:30-8:45 am
Morning snack and juice
8:45-10:00 am
Outside play and games
10:00-10:30 am
come in and wash up
10:30-11:00 am
Lunch and wash up
11:00-1 pm
rest time, Disney holiday movie
arts and crafts for those not wishing to watch a movie
1-1:30 pm
afternoon snack
1:30-3 pm
misc holiday crafts/say our good byes

If there are any questions about anything or anything else you may need please feel free to contact me at :

mrsespino@hotmail.com
239-839-2983

Thanks,
Mandie Espino
Certified respite provider

Happy Holiday's / New parent packets to Health Park (10)

PODS Angels Holiday Party 2008

PODS Angels Holiday Party 2008
Photography by Nancy Harris

PODS Angels Holiday Party 2008

PODS Angels Holiday Party - Photography by Nancy Harris