Faculty member launches new project

SSW Assistant Professor Nev Jones recently launched a new joint advocacy project with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Mental Health America and Project Lets. The initial phase of the project involved a nationwide survey of current/former college students designed to better understand experiences of psychiatric-disability based discrimination, and accommodation denials in higher education.  This collaborative work responds to the well-established judicial erosion of protections ostensibly afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what amount to broken promises when it comes to psychiatric disabilities, with a focus on students with mental health challenges in higher ed settings.  As Dr. Jones explains "it's common for well-intentioned faculty and administrators to think that campus disability services offices check most of the boxes when it comes to disability and equity; unfortunately, this isn't the case, and years of research and advocacy reveal major gaps and oversights when it comes to deeper student supports and the kinds of policies that would more directly fulfill the original promises of the ADA and the broader disability justice movement.  Through this partnership, we hope to lay an empirical foundation for policies and practices designed to protect student rights and help ensure truly equal access to education, and ultimately, employment." Read more about the project here.