PICKING UP THE PIECES: Finding My Way as a Visually Impaired Woman in Higher Education

What barriers and traumas do students with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, experience in higher education settings?

Drawing on personal experience, author Stephanie Levin provides an overview of disability history within higher education settings and explains the impact of poor care on disabled students. Stephanie was only 20 when she experienced retinal detachment that required surgery. Shortly afterwards she experienced retinal detachment in the same eye which resulted in vision loss. With her newfound identity as a visually impaired woman, Stephanie struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. She refused accommodations within her university for fear of stigmatization, but she found that her acquaintances, professors, and friends viewed her differently.

Through themes of trauma and identity, this book is ideal reading for teachers, carers, and disabled students as well as students of Disability Studies and Education.

Dr. Stephanie A.N. Levin is an educational leader, an author, and a disability advocate. Stephanie's research focuses on disability studies and feminist studies and how inclusive practices can be promoted for women students with disabilities in higher education. Dr. Levin's book, Picking Up the Pieces: Finding My Way as a Visually Impaired Woman in Higher Education, tells the story of how she became visually impaired as a college student while navigating ableism, a decreased sense of belonging, mental health challenges, and a loss of identity while completing her degree. Her experiences have led her to actively advocate for the disability community, and to be a voice for those who are experiencing similar challenges. In addition to publishing her book, Dr. Levin published an opinion piece with EdSurge titled, Many Students don't Inform their Colleges About their Disability. That Needs to Change. She has also served as keynote speaker for Rowan University events such as Access and Inclusion Week and The College of Education's Homecoming Breakfast celebration.