Center for Disabilities Studies

What it takes to make Delaware beaches more accessible for visitors with disabilities Center for Disabilities Studies Director Beth Mineo discusses what it takes to make Delaware beaches and seaside towns more accessible to visitors with disabilities. Also advocating for improvements are CDS Community Advisory Council members Brigitte Hancharick, Terri Hancharick, and Kristin Harvey, and Emmanuel Jenkins, faculty with the CDS-run Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program.

Funding Boost As part of the federal government’s omnibus bill passed in March 2022, the University of Delaware has received $12 million for research, workforce and development. The Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) Assistive Technology Resource Centers, led by Center for Disabilities Studies Director Beth Mineo, are among the projects receiving funding.

Excellence in Autism Support Award Goes to Delaware UCEDD Research Manager For her “Outstanding Research on Autism in Higher Education,” Jessica Monahan, research manager with the University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies’ Spectrum Scholars program, has won an inaugural Excellence in Autism Support award from the College Autism Network.

Disability rights advocates say new funding for transit access is critical: ‘Transportation is the key to everything’ Center for Disabilities Studies Director Beth Mineo and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg discuss the need for accessible transportation after President Biden signed federal infrastructure legislation allocating $1.75 billion for accessible transit station upgrades. Some 20 percent of stations nationally reportedly don’t meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Valuing autism on and off campus Spectrum Scholars program can tailor a training for faculty and staff designed to increase their ability to empower autistic students.