Dr. Lisa Dieker, a professor at the University of Kansas in the Department of Special Education, and Dr. Rebecca Hines, a professor at the University of Central Florida in the College of Community Innovation and Education, have worked with schools and parents across the country. Dr. Dieker directs a center in the Achievement and Assessment Institute called Flexible Learning through Innovations in Technology in Education (FLITE) and Dr. Hines directs several doctoral grants and the teacher preparation program. In this podcast, they take a fun and informal look at "practical" solutions from teachers, parents, and people with disabilities. The approach in this podcast is to provide fast, flexible thinking about "real" life problems. This podcast is not about the "legal" approach but their best advice from personal and professional experience.
In today's episode, Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker sit down with Camille Gardiner who serves on the Board of Directors at the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida. Tune in as they share information on how to make sure students with disabilities have access to college.
Lisa Dieker:
Welcome to practical access. I'm Lisa Dieker.
Rebecca Hines:
And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa was hoping today we could talk about a topic that I keep getting questions about, because not only because I have a nephew, who is high school aged with significant disabilities, but also because I teach a lot of classes right now in transition. And the question that I keep getting is how do we make sure that kids with disabilities, and all kinds of
Lisa Dieker:
Yeah, it truly is still a zip code issue depends on which zip code you live in which state and I think today when we talked about having this question, I was like, yeah, I'm gonna answer this. And by myself, it's a pretty related question. So decide to bring in one of our friends, we have a lot of friends as the field knows. And a very special friend today, who actually really kind of
Camille Gardner:
Thank you for having me today, ladies. Yeah.
Lisa Dieker:
So can you give us a little bit of your background and kind of where your inspiration for what has now happened in Florida is that the special diploma is gone. Yay, that alone makes me cheer. But you were really an impetus for making that happen. So can you share a little bit of that story with the field in this podcast?
Camille Gardner:
Sure. My name is Camille Gardner. And I serve on the board for the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida. And more importantly, I have a 17 year old son that has Down syndrome. And so that's where my passion comes from. And I learned about this issue. Gosh, Lisa, I can't remember exactly what year it was, but probably like 2011 ish. And you share with me about a student that you
Rebecca Hines:
So, so
Lisa Dieker:
sorry, Becky, I'm
Rebecca Hines:
sorry, Lisa. But
Lisa Dieker:
can I say?
Rebecca Hines:
Go ahead and first,
Lisa Dieker:
after you go Becky. Go Becky
Rebecca Hines:
So Camille, because Lisa is a lot more familiar with this than I am just to kind of recap what you just said, For our listeners. So in Florida, there was a special diploma that kept students from having access to taking anything post secondary. Is that right?
Camille Gardner:
Correct. A lot the time stated that if you had a special diploma, you could not attend college classes at 40. Universities, I think, what was it like when you turn 65? I think there was a lot of effort.
Lisa Dieker:
I was gonna say, fill that job. When you were 65. In Florida, you could wait to turn 65 Wow. And if my son would have turned 65 and we're like, that just doesn't seem right. And I do remember saying to you know, if you could just fix this before I died, I still remember the day you started the commission, you called me and said please don't die. But yes. And I was like, wow, you
Camille Gardner:
You know, I really I give that side of it to Andy because I'm just like the little, you know, mouse in the ear that says, hey, I had this idea that someone shared with me. And then he you know, it is important that in those relationships with our legislators, and if you're not fortunate to have a family member that's serving in the legislature, I think as advocates is important for
Rebecca Hines:
And Camille since since most other people listening to the podcast, may not have a spouse in the legislature. Can you give us a little a little insider tip on how do we become that mouse in the ear? Should we should we reach out to like, bigger organizations and become a part of that so that we have kind of a collective voice? I mean, from your opinion, like what, who else would your husband have listened to
Camille Gardner:
And I'll say, it's possible. I remember Andy championed to have a personal care assistant, I remember there was a young man, I think he had cerebral palsy. And he was an adult, a grown adult, and he was going to be a lawyer. And I think he may have already graduated from law school. But he his dilemma was, he needed a personal care assistant that, you know, was not included in they're there, it's their full time job. Sometimes they after you know, one number may term out of office, they go and work for another member. So don't think that if you're just meeting with staff that it's just meeting with staff, it's it's just as good, and it's equally as important.
Lisa Dieker:
So I know one of the things that you immediately did, and you really led part of that, because I had the privilege of serving on as you started to commission to look at this and to talk about this and brought all those constituents to the table. And yet what I think I found and and i'm curious, because you know, sometimes people run into legislators office are angry and upset. And I
Camille Gardner:
I think I think just bringing a group of people together, and I think sometimes people who you know, you need to win over the people who are not in agreement with you. I think, you know, that's part of what's wrong with our country right now is we're very like, I think this and you think that and that's it, you know, I think it's sitting down and talking and I think to be
Rebecca Hines:
I think that's a really important point. And really well stated, Camille, thanks. We talk a lot about advocacy, and you've just given us a blueprint for it in our in our own community by starting with our local representatives, and especially your point about meeting with the aides, I appreciate that, and I hope that some of our listeners will go out and start looking at paths to
Camille Gardner:
And, you know, a lot of times, as parents and as advocates, you know, we're, obviously we're very passionate, a lot, you know, usually we're talking about our children. But sometimes we have to take the passion out of it. And think of the data I remember when Andy worked, we talked about, you know, we stayed in seclusion, restraint and seclusion in classrooms. And rather than be
Lisa Dieker:
And I know for our listeners, some of the like the, the way we we were kind of brought you on is a question that was asked is, you know, what does it look like in Florida and you know, we have kind of these tiers. So share that with the listeners, you know, we have this, you know, you you got a standard diploma, like most of us, and I always laugh when people get really caught up in
Camille Gardner:
You know, it's really neat. And Andy and I love getting to meet families that their sons and daughters have gone on to post secondary programs, or who are using the gardener scholarship. Because our tagline for the downside and foundation of Florida is when potential is given opportunity, the outcome is success. And I think when you think about the Florida center for changes it's changing but it's a slight process. And we really As parents, we just want our children to be seen as equal and to be given the same opportunities. And what makes one person happy in life doesn't make somebody else happy. But just having the opportunity to choose what they want to do and how how they get to live that independent life is, is what it's all about. So we're glad to have
Lisa Dieker:
So, Becky, you got it. Last closing thought? And then I just have one, one quick one to wrap us up today.
Rebecca Hines:
No, I just want to thank our friend, Camille, Garner, we, Lisa and Camille and I had have had a lot of opportunities to collaborate. And it's always a pleasure to work with somebody who is not only so passionate, but results driven. It's it's inspirational, and we appreciate it.
Lisa Dieker:
Yeah. I just want to end by not only thanking you, but saying that you know what, sometimes it's that chance encounter, I still remember when you and Julie called me, I didn't know you were any legislators wife. I didn't know anything. You just happened to be another mom of a kid with a disability. And we sat down and started talking. And then, you know, a couple weeks later, I
Camille Gardner:
Well, thank you for having me today. And thank you, ladies for all that you do every day out there changing the lives of individuals with unique abilities, and also teaching young people to be teachers who can go on and be advocates for our sons and daughters. So thank you both very much. All right. Well, thank
Lisa Dieker:
you for joining us. If you have questions, you can find a way to call in with your questions on our Facebook site, or tweet us @accesspractical. Thank you again Camille
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