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| An IDASL student works on a wheelchair for client Gordon Richins. |
The IDASL program has trained students on addressing
disability issues since 2001. Starting in Fall 2016, it will be an option for
Utah State University students in the Uintah Basin.
The IDASL (Interdisciplinary Disability Awareness and
Service Learning) class is a two-semester, one- to three-credit course
available to juniors, seniors and graduate students of all disciplines. Its
purpose is to help people from all academic fields work together to find
solutions to disability-related issues. The number of credits available depends
on the student’s level of involvement.
Cameron Cressall, an alumnus of the program who is now the
Assistive Technology Lab coordinator in Roosevelt, took the class when he
returned to school after years in construction work and furniture building.
“Of all the classes I’ve taken at USU, that one class had
more impact, hands down, than any other,” he said. “It led me to what I do
today.” It made his work experience in building relevant in his chosen
field: Social work. (As the lab coordinator, Cressall helps people meet their
goals for independence by using technology to move, eat or enjoy a favorite
activity.)
His lab experience also provided him with a career option
that felt right. “I’m building, creating, doing fun stuff and making people
happy. … It’s not hard to be passionate
about my job.”
Cressall worked in the AT lab as part of the service
learning the IDASL program requires of all its students. Now, the lab he leads
will provide similar opportunities to students in a whole new part of the
state. Other service learning options in the Uintah Basin are pending.
In addition to service learning experiences, the class
requires its students to attend seminars and presentations where they learn
about disability in a collaborative, solution-focused approach.
Stipends are available for long-term trainees. For more
information, contact Alma Burgess, the project coordinator.
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