How often have you heard about a student struggling abroad who could have been helped if advised sooner? We've seen an increase in the number students exploring study abroad who have "invisible identities" not often discussed. In this session, presenters will discuss the opportunities and challenges in advising, resources, and on-site support for such students with mental-health issues, learning disabilities, dietary restrictions, and allergies. Presenters will discuss the importance of early disclosure, planning, and partnerships for long-term inclusion, from university and provider perspectives.

1. Invisible Identities
Promoting and Protecting Diverse Identities in Study Abroad
Brett M. Chin, Babson College
Darren R. Gallant, Brandeis University
Paula Hentz, Stetson University
Morgan Reiss, CIEE Seville Study Center

2. Who are we? Who Are You?BabsonCollege
• Babson Park,
MA
• 2,000
undergrad
• 27% students
go abroad
• Business
Administration
only
BrandeisUniversity
• Waltham, MA
• 3,600
undergrad
• 40% students
go abroad
• Private liberal
arts w/
research &
science focus
StetsonUniversity
• DeLand, FL
• 2,500
undergrad
• 12% students
go abroad
• Private liberal
arts
CIEESeville
• Seville, Spain
• 1,000 students
• Study Abroad
• High School
• Gap year
• Teach in Spain

3. Agenda
Overview of Topic
Disclosure
Becoming Comfortable with these Topics
Expectation Management/Cultural Advising
Case Studies
Questions

4. Overview of Topic
The ADA defines a person with a disability as:
has physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one
or more major life activities
has record of such impairment; or
is regarded as having such impairment
What are “invisible identities”?

5. Why Invisible Identities?
Learning
Disabilities
46.4%
Mental
Disability
27.9
Physical
Disability
5.9%
Sensory
Disability
3.8%
Other
Disabilities
16%
BREAKDOWN OF DISABILITIES
• Students with
disabilities consists of
approximately 9% of
most college
campuses
• Number of students
with disabilities
studying abroad have
nearly doubled since
2006
Source:
http://www.miusa.org/resource/tipsheet/opendoorstats
According to 2013 National Survey on
Student Engagement

6. Brief Overview of the ADA/Section 504
Requires that organizations
receiving US federal dollars
not discriminate against
individuals with disabilities
and provide reasonable
modifications
Protects people with
disabilities from
discrimination in
employment, public
modifications,
transportation,
telecommunications and
activities of state and local
government
To what extent are we
responsible to uphold
Section 504/ADA?
- Depends on each country
and the site abroad
- Work with partners
abroad to determine
feasibility

7. Learning Disabilities
About 2% of college
students have a learning
disability
Nearly 50% recorded
disabilities in study
abroad are learning
disabilities
Students should already
be registered with
Accommodations Office
on home campus
Source:
http://www.miusa.org/sites/default/files/documents/resource/NAFSA%20International%20Educator%20marapr09_edabro
ad%20Michele%20stats%20article.pdf

8. Study Abroad Considerations for Learning Disabilities
Relationship with partner/provider abroad
Culture of host country regarding disability
Pre-existing accommodations

9. Mental Health
Today’s college students
receive more help for mental
health than ever before.
10-15% in the mid 80’s to
33-40% today
95% of college counseling
center directors surveyed
said that the number of
students with significant
psychological problems is a
growing concern
70% of directors believe that
the number of students with
severe psychological
problems on their campus
has increased in the past
year

10. Study Abroad Considerations for Mental
Health
Native language-speaking counselor
Relationship with partner/provider abroad
Culture of host country regarding disability
Do they already see a counselor?
Have experience mental health problems in the past?

11. Food Allergies
15 million Americans have food allergies – no cure
Food allergies among children increased about 50%
between 1997 and 2011
8 foods account for 90% of all reactions: milk, eggs,
peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish
Source: https://www.foodallergy.org/facts-and-stats & http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/blog/2012/10/studying-
abroad-with-a-food-allergy.html

12. Study Abroad Considerations for Food Allergies
Living accommodations (separate kitchen)
Bringing Epipen
Prepare airline
Insurance
Research food customs
Communication
Key phrases in the language of host country

13. Encouraging Disclosure Before Going Abroad
Website for students
and families
Study Abroad 101
Presentations
Pre-Advising
Questionnaire/Intake
Form
Advising After Being Accepted
Pre-Departure
Orientation

14. Website for Students and Families
What information do you
have on your websites
for students and families
regarding “invisible
identities”?

15. Study Abroad 101 Presentations
Information
Session about
studying Abroad
Research
Different
Programs
Different
Learning Styles

16. Academics
Housing
Cultural
Community
Engagement
Professional
Student
Support
Services
Components of a Program
Direct enrollment, study center,
courses in host country
language, concentration classes
Homestay, international
or local peer roommates
Language, customs,
food, religion, politics
Internships, business
visits, networking
Writing center, counseling,
academic accommodations,
medical clinic
Athletics, student
clubs, volunteering
Which components will most
influence your program
choice?

17. Advising
Pre-Advising Questionnaire/Intake Form
• Which of the following factors may affect your program location or choice?
• Dietary or travel restrictions
• Disability services and accommodations
• Please indicate any topics that you might want more information about as it relates to your
preparations form studying abroad
• Dietary needs/restrictions
• Disability considerations
• Medications abroad
• Mental health abroad
Meeting with the student
• Ask about how the different components of the program will impact some of their different
identities

18. After Being Accepted To Go Abroad
Checking in with
other Offices
• Send all the names of students approved to go abroad to
• Academic Advising
• Counseling center
• Community Standards/Judicial Office
• Health Center
Health &
Wellness Form
• All students going abroad fill out a Health & Wellness Form
• Food allergies/restricted diet (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.)
• Mental Health
• Medications/Taking medications abroad
• Require assistance for mental health, emotional, learning, or physical impairments

19. Pre-Departure Orientation – Health & Safety
Presentation
Mental Health
• Advise talking to study
abroad advisor and
counselor
• What resources do you
utilize to remain healthy
and well in the US/home
campus?
• What services/resources
will you need to stay
healthy and well abroad?
Food Allergies
• Talk to your doctor
• What medications will
you need if you have an
allergic reaction?
• Research where you are
going
Medications
• Make sure medications is
legal in country abroad
• Make sure that you that
you have enough of the
medication to last for the
entire time you are
abroad
• If not, how can you get
a re-fill?
• Resources - ISOS

20. Becoming Comfortable with these Topics
Stock Questions
Is there anything else about your identity
(or you) that might impact your
experience abroad?
Have you thought about how the
services you’ll receive abroad will be
different?
Do you know if they offer the same
services you receive on campus?
Since starting at Home University, what
have been some of the challenges that
you’ve overcome?
Normalizing the conversation
What has your office done to already bring up these identities before the student enters your office
Education

21. Educating Yourself and Your Colleagues
Meet with your Office of
Disability Services,
Counseling Center, and
Health Center
What are common
issues/topics they discuss with
students?
Learn the Lingo
Abroad with Disabilities:
www.abroadwithdisabilities.org
miusa.org
Example: student with a
disability, not a disabled
student
Learn the campus
atmosphere, get involved
in the conversation
At Brandeis there is a lot of talk
about mental health issues due
to the high stress and
performance pressure on
students.
More common for student to
open up about their mental
health concerns.

22. Practicing Awkward Questions
Practice!
• Introduce yourself to someone
near you.
• Ask them a question from the
next slide.
• Please respond openly but also
feel free to tell a different
version of the truth.
• Listen.

23. Example of Questions to Ask
• Do you have any dietary
restrictions that you’ve had to
navigate in Berlin?
• Who do you go to for help with
managing big transitions or
changes?
• Do you receive any academic
accommodations for your
classes?
• When you travel is there
medication you make sure you
have with you?

24. Follow Up!
You’ve gained their trust, don’t lose it
Keep your information appropriately confidential
Ask permission if you feel it’s necessary to share this information
outside the office
Remember their name, not their condition

25. Reading the Room
It’s good to rely on the student to self-disclose this information but
what if it’s not on their radar or they don’t see you as trust-able.
Don’t judge and ensure them that they don’t have to
tell you anything more than they’re comfortable
Every student is
different
Not a collective identity
Remind them it’s helpful
for you to know so you
can advise them better
Activist & complacent
students

26. Group Programming
Programming for
populations with
invisible identities
Access Abroad
workshop at
Brandeis University
Takeaways

27. Managing Expectations/Cultural Advising

29. Cultural Advising = Working with Partners
Both are necessary as concrete working knowledge of local particularities for all
sites/regions/nations is a practical impossibility for university advisors & vice versa.
socio-economic cultural
practical political LEGAL
Institutional medical institutional
religious

30. CIEE: collaborative approach = partners
sending institution
• Study abroad office
• Disabilities office
• Health center
• Risk manager/legal
• Professors
• International students
host institution
• External/foreign office
• Disabilities office
• Student unions/orgs
• Health/social services
• Professors
external partners
•Civic associations/org
•Hosts/dorms
•Legal, medical,
nutritional, psych
•MIUSA, NACUA,
NCLD/LDA,
NIMH/NAMI

31. Managing Expectations: Inclusion: Accessibility,
Acceptability, Efficacy, Quality
Pro-active approach which balances the desire or need to
manage expectations with the ultimate goal of INCLUSIVENESS
Online
materials
Pre-departure
advising even
with on-site
staff if
necessary
Forms which
encourage/elicit
disclosure
Outreach to
capture those
students who
might not have
disclosed
Collaborative
institutional
approach
(resources,
financial…)
Complex issues
require creative
solutions, but
ultimately
benefits ALL
parties

47. Case Studies
Examples
Break into groups & discuss
Share with the larger group

48. Case Studies
Food allergy: A student discloses during advising that they have an “extreme nut allergy”
who wants to study abroad in Asia but doesn’t trust the food processing systems. How do
you support the student?
Learning Disability: The student wants to do a direct enrollment and has a learning
disability but is concerned about having the necessary academic accommodations provided
in the host institution. How do you support the student?
Mental Health: A student is abroad and is struggling with a pre-existing mental health
condition that haven’t previously disclosed. How do you support the student?
• How would you find out about the student’s “invisible identity”?
• How would you work with the partner?
• How do you currently serve the student now?
• How would you like your office to address these identities in the future?

49. Helpful Resources
• Abroad with Disabilities, www.abroadwithdisabilities.org
• Ahoontrakul, “Studying Abroad with a Food Allergy.”
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/blog/2012/10/studying-abroad-with-a-
food-allergy.html. International Student Insurance. 6 Oct 2012
• Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors,
http://www.aucccd.org/
• Food Allergy Research & Education, https://www.foodallergy.org/facts-and-stats.
• Michele, “Tracking Students With Disabilities Who Study Abroad.”
http://www.miusa.org/sites/default/files/documents/resource/NAFSA%20International%
20Educator%20marapr09_edabroad%20Michele%20stats%20article.pdf
• National Network: Information, Guidance, and Training on the Americans with Disabilities
Act, https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
• “Statistics on U.S. College-Level Study Abroad Students with Disabilities.”
http://www.miusa.org/resource/tipsheet/opendoorstats
• “Your Rights Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.” https://adata.org/learn-about-
ada

50. Invisible Identities
Promoting and Protecting Diverse Identities in Study Abroad
Brett M. Chin, Babson College
Darren R. Gallant, Brandeis University
Paula Hentz, Stetson University
Morgan Reiss, CIEE Seville Study Center
Questions?