Students with disabilities?

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Xidelt

Delta Zeta has a chapter at Gallaudet. Alpha sigma theta is a sorority at RIT that was founded by deaf women. Its website now says it has three chapters total.

Gallaudet's Greek System is sort of mixed with for the Fraternities, two long existing Locals and two Nationals (Kappa Sigma and Delta Sigma Phi) and for the Sororities, two long existing Locals, one NPC National (Delta Zeta) and Alpha Sigma Theta (which has chapters at the three universities in the US with strong programs for the Deaf: Rochester Inst. of Technology, Gallaudet and Cal State Northridge)

I'd like to see Alpha Phi Omega return to Gallaudet...

[33girl]

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

I had a pledge sister with a muscular distrophy. We never even talked about it really. It was brought out in the open and a couple of accomodations were made along the way, but then we all kind of just forgot about it. I think I had a chapter sister with a type of dwarfism too, but again, it wasn't talked about. Our relationship was with the person, not the disability.

This sounds so like us

One of our sisters had an arm that stopped at the elbow - I think her mom had taken Thalidomide. People would talk to her for an hour or two before they'd even realize it.

[DrPhil]

An NPC sorority at my undergraduate college had a member with one leg who walked in crutches. It was such a loving and cool relationship. I took a class with the NM and two of the sorority sisters. A bunch of cool people on so many levels.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDAlum

I wondered how many students with disabilities join NPC/NIC organizations.

Not NIC, but our electronic alumni newsletter just had this article about a recent grad from our Alpha Rho chapter (UNC-Chapel Hill) with Tourette Syndrome. Last year, he received the Collegiate Brother of the Year Award from Province 20 (the 11 chapters in North Carolina).

[carnation]

One of my pledge sisters had that disability. I didn't even notice for several months! She was a fantastic artist and she used that hand for her artwork.

[KSUViolet06]

I've posted about this before, but I have a disability as do very good friends of mine who are Chi Omega & DZ alumnae from my alma mater.

Just a quick FYI Not all Deaf people consider themselves disabled. I am a deaf woman at Gallaudet University. 95% of our school is deaf students and we have a wonderfully thriving greek life.

[KSUViolet06]

Right. For some, deafness is more of a person's identity/culture than a disability, right? (I'm a SPED major and we've had many conversations re: deaf culture and the different perspectives within the community.)

[naraht]

Originally Posted by dz.lys.91

Just a quick FYI Not all Deaf people consider themselves disabled. I am a deaf woman at Gallaudet University. 95% of our school is deaf students and we have a wonderfully thriving greek life.

What I've found is that generally Deaf people don't consider themselves disabled and deaf people do.

(Fairly strong correlation between the capital D and those that don't consider themselves)

As for the Greek system at Gallaudet, I'd say that it is unusual in that I can't come up with many schools that have both *multiple* locals that have been around for more than a Century and national GLOs. However given the alumni support for the locals and *high* number of Gallaudet Alumni who now are employed by the school, I expect that those locals would be considerably more likely to survive a Risk Management issue that (for example) might cause University of Maryland to shut down an NIC fraternity.

(I expect that the only schools with a higher number of school alumni in high positions in the school would be the Military Academies).

I've visited Gallaudet looking for information on my fraternity there (Alpha Phi Omega), quietest library *EVER*....

Originally Posted by naraht

What I've found is that generally Deaf people don't consider themselves disabled and deaf people do.

(Fairly strong correlation between the capital D and those that don't consider themselves)

As for the Greek system at Gallaudet, I'd say that it is unusual in that I can't come up with many schools that have both *multiple* locals that have been around for more than a Century and national GLOs. However given the alumni support for the locals and *high* number of Gallaudet Alumni who now are employed by the school, I expect that those locals would be considerably more likely to survive a Risk Management issue that (for example) might cause University of Maryland to shut down an NIC fraternity.

(I expect that the only schools with a higher number of school alumni in high positions in the school would be the Military Academies).

I've visited Gallaudet looking for information on my fraternity there (Alpha Phi Omega), quietest library *EVER*....

The two biggest local frat/sorority on campus are Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta. The reason their organizations have stood so long, like you stated, the alumni support is there forever for them AND what they stand for. Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta are DEAF strong organizations. What I mean by this is, most of their members have deaf parents or some kind of affiliation with strong deaf lineage.
Kappa Gamma was actually suspended from campus in the 1900's and they had been running their fraternity and keeping it strong Off campus. Later when they asked to come back on campus as an organization, they marched in line wearing their colors (blue and gold) onto the campus, supposedly one of the largest groups ever.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by dz.lys.91

The two biggest local frat/sorority on campus are Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta. The reason their organizations have stood so long, like you stated, the alumni support is there forever for them AND what they stand for. Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta are DEAF strong organizations. What I mean by this is, most of their members have deaf parents or some kind of affiliation with strong deaf lineage.
Kappa Gamma was actually suspended from campus in the 1900's and they had been running their fraternity and keeping it strong Off campus. Later when they asked to come back on campus as an organization, they marched in line wearing their colors (blue and gold) onto the campus, supposedly one of the largest groups ever.

In some ways, Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta are probably in the strongest position relative to an administration/Dean of Students as any Greek Letter Organization that I know of. It sounds like Kappa Gamma more or less ignored the suspension and continued to take on new brothers. I truly wonder whether the administration would be able to eject either group permanently for anything short of unrecoverable hazing (death or something like a permanent Coma) (See Gamma Phi Gamma at Wilmington College)

This certainly won't be true for the National groups (though I wonder to what degree Delta Zeta's focus on hearing issues as a National Philanthropy helps or hurts among those who consider themselves Deaf)

[ree-Xi]

One of the members of Sig Ep on campus was/is blind and had a service dog (who, by the way, got a lot of love whenever he was "off duty".

As far as anyone could tell, this member was treated no differently, and had to do all of the typical late 80s very public "pledge stuff" along with his pledge class.

[clemsongirl]

One of the Clemson cheerleaders has been dealing with the gradual onset of blindness for a while now-her news story was all over my Facebook feed recently: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/201...ly-losing.html She is a Sigma Kappa here and truly inspirational.

[happilyanchored]

There was a sister at our Mu chapter (Mizzou) who is deaf, and they actually found a DG who is fluent in sign language to be her interpreter for initiation. There's a short bit in an old ANCHORA about her:

http://digital.watkinsprinting.com/p.../?i=138253&p=4

Originally Posted by naraht

In some ways, Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta are probably in the strongest position relative to an administration/Dean of Students as any Greek Letter Organization that I know of. It sounds like Kappa Gamma more or less ignored the suspension and continued to take on new brothers. I truly wonder whether the administration would be able to eject either group permanently for anything short of unrecoverable hazing (death or something like a permanent Coma) (See Gamma Phi Gamma at Wilmington College)

This certainly won't be true for the National groups (though I wonder to what degree Delta Zeta's focus on hearing issues as a National Philanthropy helps or hurts among those who consider themselves Deaf)

I noticed that the national groups with strong bonds to their fellow chapters nearby have it better than those groups that do not. For example: Kappa Sigma Mu Iota chapter has strong bonds with the chapter of Kappa Sigma at University of Maryland and the newest colony at Catholic University. Last year, the Kappa Sigma brothers and alumni brothers hosted an ASL workshop for the chapters nearby. From the pictures, it looked like a fun event and everyone got the opportunity to get to know one another. As for Delta Zeta, and their national philanthropy, there is a somewhat mixed feelings at Gallaudet's chapter. Some women feel that Gallaudet should be taking a stand and educating other chapters, others feel that it is a national philanthropy and they should support their sisters no matter what.

I should also point out that the Deaf/deaf labeling is in the process of being thrown out of the window due to the complexity of labeling and where the line should be drawn. For example: Am I deaf because I was educated with hearing people and did not learn ASL until later or Am I Deaf because I chose Gallaudet University? The lines are extremely blurry so the use of D/d is fading.