Center for Disabilities Studies

Leveling the playing field When the University of Delaware’s Spectrum Scholars college-to-career program for students with autism launched in September 2018, President Dennis Assanis noted that it personifies the university’s goal of “inclusive excellence,” which is all about “leading every student to success, both in and out of the classroom.”

Safely accessing their home Nowhere Else to Turn, a CDS program helping Delawareans with paralysis afford home modifications, facilitated the purchase of equipment enabling 11-year-old Cole Thorne to travel up and down stairs without relying on his mother to carry him.

Autism sex ed scholar presents at CDS An expert in sexuality and intellectual and developmental disabilities advocated for teaching healthy sex practices, not just how to recognize and resist nonconsensual actions.

Student feedback necessary to improve school climate At a CDS event on school climate, a member of the Center’s Positive Behavior Support project and leaders from the Brandywine School District demonstrated how educators can use data to make the classroom safer and more engaging.

CDS’s Sonja Rathel retiring after 27 years of service Sonja Rathel is retiring from the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative after nearly three decades spent supporting Delawareans with disabilities. Rathel leaves a legacy of service in DATI and Delaware’s largest disability conferences – LIFE, Inclusion and Transition – which she helped coordinate for years.