Michael Hudson doesn’t like to use the word “disabled.”
“Someone can have a disability,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean they are disabled.”
He would know. Not only is Hudson the director of Michigan State University’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), he also is blind, something he has had to adjust to and grow through over the years.
“I don’t like the stigma that can be attached to the word,” he said. “It’s like a car broken down on the side of the road, not serving any purpose, more of a problem than an asset. There can be such a negative connotation.”
Located in Bessey Hall, the RCPD helps hundreds of MSU employees deal with some of life’s challenges, whether they have been dealing with a challenge since birth or it is a new one that cropped up later in life.
“We’re the ones who help make sure those challenges don’t become the reason people stop living their dreams and pursuing their highest potential,” Hudson said.
Working with the employee, the center not only helps the person come to terms with how that disability affects his or her work and lives, but also brainstorms solutions.
“Our job is to find out what that person’s work calls on them to do, what those essential functions are, and then find ways in which he or she can be productive and a highly valued employee,” Hudson said.
Hudson said if an employee has either a long-standing issue or a new one, the first step is to contact the center. Once the nature of the disability is determined and all the paperwork is done, then the real work begins.
Specialists from the center will take into consideration not only the disability itself, but the employee’s work situation, his or her workspace, and then consult with the employee’s supervisor.
Many solutions are technology-related. For example, voice-input technology has made great advances over the years, as have other technologies that make it easier for those who have difficulties typing or using a mouse.
“We do have strategies to get around those issues,” Hudson said. “Alternatives to the mouse, different pointing devices and, of course, voice input are all options.”
Much of this work begins in the Assistive Technology Center (ATC). Located within the RCPD, the ATC works with the employee, developing technology- based solutions.
“Unfortunately, most people in this world with disabilities do not have what they need to live independent and productive lives,” said Stephen Blosser, assistive technology specialist with the RCPD.
“I consider my most successful role, a major part of my mission, is the creation of a solution for someone who cannot find what they need from off-the-shelf resources.”
So, what exactly is a disability? “A disability is something that affects a major life activity and is expected to be permanent,” Hudson said.
There was a time that if a person had a disability, it was pretty easy to tell. Today, he said, “about three-quarters of those we work with have disabilities that you wouldn’t see at first look.” These, he said, can range from heart and other health issues to autism or learning disabilities.
Also, many people may question whether they truly have a disability just because they weren’t born with it. Many issues can come on later in life, including Parkinson’s disease and, yes, blindness.
Hudson experiences a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive deterioration of the retina leading to inability to convert light to sight. “Right now,” he said, “I can tell if it’s light or dark, but that’s about it.”
MSU is a pioneer in redefining disability from inability to possibility and achievement. The original RCPD, then known as the Office of Programs for Handicapper Students, was founded in 1971.
But well before that, the seed was sown when the Tower Guard Honor Society was founded in the early 1930s by May Shaw, wife of then-president Robert Shaw. Today, Tower Guard students help their visually impaired colleagues prepare for exams, help create more accessible textbooks and hold one-on-one tutoring sessions. For information on the Tower Guard, visit msutowerguard.org.