No Worries - Studying Abroad in Perth, Western Australia
When I received the opportunity to study abroad in Perth, Western Australia, I had many of the same fears and concerns that most students have when planning to study overseas. However, planning for physical accommodations and preparing for situations where accommodations may not be possible was an additional concern that most students don’t have to think about. Yet, after several meetings and correspondences via email with advisors both at home and overseas, I was beginning to feel more at ease with the idea of studying abroad.
Preparing to study abroad was not the first time I had to plan for physical accommodations and advocate for myself as a person with a disability. Yet, after spending four years in college on my own, I believe that I am a lot more prepared to study away from home with a disability now than I was initially my first year in college. Before college I attended most of my life at a school for students with physical disabilities. Widener Memorial School was located in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and consisted of only about 400 students with disabilities, the majority of which were students of color. My high school was completely wheelchair accessible and included teachers and staff that were use to students with disabilities. I never felt out of place there because there were 399 other students just like me, in fact, if a young person came to visit that did not have a disability, we’d whisper “Who are they?” because clearly, they were the odd ones, not us.
So, at the age of 17, I had what at the time for me, seemed to be my first foreign exchange experience. I began college at Penn State University, a rural college town, majority white with a population of over 40,000 students. After spending my entire educational experience with students mostly like myself, I was now in an environment where there were very few people like me. Not only the physical barriers but the cultural barriers of being an African American in a majority white school for the first time was often very stressful, but with time I overcame them and became an active and successful student. My undergraduate experience, though hard, largely prepared me for the challenges that I would now face as an African American woman with a disability overseas. It is a challenge that I have embraced and so far have confronted triumphantly.
Although I had experience and preparation on my side, nothing could truly prepare me for the new challenges that I have experienced thus far in Perth, Western Australia. Exclusion was my number one fear when coming to Australia. I feared that most other students would be able to go out, and I would be left behind, only to be included in conversations about what happened at places that I was not able to attend. I feared that students would constantly share pictures and stories with me, but I would never be able to actually experience the same activities with other students because of the physical barriers that I might face. I was wrong. Not just staff, but students also work hard to include me and take physical accommodations into consideration whenever we plan to travel. This has meant a great deal and has made my study abroad experience all the more enjoyable. Of course there are times when I am not able to participate in activities that most other students can, but these are rare and there are usually alternative things to for me to do.
I have taken advantage of every opportunity I have had thus far and I have challenged myself both mentally and physically in ways that I didn’t think possible. The wheelchair access and public transportation is actually more advanced in many ways than in my home town Philadelphian and at Penn State University. I can travel on many buses and trains freely and when they are not available there is a wheelchair accessible taxi service that I can use. I especially appreciated the taxi service because at home I have to call a van service at least 2 days ahead to make a reservation if I want to go out. For the first time in my life I can freely come and go as I please a lot more spontaneously than before. This experience has allowed me to be even more independent than I was when I arrived. My flat even includes a lowered kitchen area where I can cook my meals and remain in my wheelchair; at Penn State I had to use a stool so that I could reach the stove. So, leaving the country has not always meant that I had to give up wheelchair accommodations that I was accustom to at home, often I am introduced to new ways of accommodating people with disabilities that I will be able to share with people at home.
One of the major challenges when preparing to come to Perth was renting a motorized wheelchair. I had my home wheelchair for some time and I was quite comfortable in it. I was very worried that I would arrive in Australia and be stuck in an uncomfortable chair the entire time I was here, but I emailed my council advisor Jan my measurements and description of the things I needed for my wheelchair, then I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. When I arrived here there were some minor things that needed to be adjusted, and although to my disappointment my rented chair is not quite as fast as my wheelchair at home, it works just fine.
The trip to North West Australia has been my biggest and most rewarding challenge thus far. I was persuaded to go by my council study advisors; they believed in my ability to overcome the physical barriers and have an enjoyable trip. I was skeptical at first and again feared exclusion. I knew that there would be physical activities that I would just not be able to participate in. However, my advisors stressed that there would also be many activities that I could do as well. I knew that there weren’t many people who could say that they camped out in Australia’s outback, so I took a chance and agreed to go. I am so pleased that I did. During my trip, I learned that I am even more capable than I previously realized. I camped out in tents in the middle of nowhere, with flies and mosquitoes, dirt and not a handicapped bathroom in sight. The hardest part of the trip, trusting in people I didn’t know to help me when needed, was the most rewarding as well. I left for the trip putting my trust in strangers and I returned a week later with trust worthy friends. I was included in every aspect of the trip possible, both because I was willing to take advantage of everything I could, and because I made so many friends that just wanted me around, as one student put it “We just aren’t a group Angel, if you can’t be there.” Before I knew it, I was snorkeling in Coral Bay Western Australia and reading a book at the bottom of a gorge in Karijini National Park, after 2 rocky piggy back rides down. My wheelchair has been rolled in some of the most beautiful places in Western Australia. I tell my friends that if they go to the outback, they may still see my tire tracks imprinted in the red dirt.
So, in many ways my study abroad experience as a person with a disability has not been that much different than having a disability in my home country. The same methods and personal qualities that I have had to use to overcome physical and social barriers throughout my entire life, I have also used here. I approached every challenge with an open mind, an open heart and a willingness to try and to learn something new. So far, this method to learning and enjoying life has proven to be effective both at home and abroad.
Angel Miles