Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C. - Deepa Goraya, a third-year law student at the University of Michigan, has long been interested in disability law. Blind since shortly after she was born, Goraya knew that going into law could be her way to impact the lives of people with disabilities. Goraya has steadily worked toward that goal, interning everywhere from a U.S. senator’s office to the White House. This past summer, she added the Burton Blatt Institute’s (BBI) Disability Policy Leadership Program to that list.
The Disability Policy Leadership Program at BBI’s Washington, D.C. office is an eight-week, competitive internship that gives top law students from across the country an up-close look at disability advocacy in the nation’s capital. Since its inception in 2006, participants in the program have gained worthwhile experience in research support, negotiation skills, writing on regulatory issues, and much more. “You’re doing real, significant work,” said Goraya, “work that has influence for many people, including myself. You’re not just making copies.”
BBI Executive Director Michael Morris, who oversees the internship program, echoed this sentiment. “Law students over the past five years have gained important practical experience in legal analysis and policy development,” Morris said. “The students have had an opportunity to participate in negotiations on new legislation, the regulatory development process through analysis of proposed rules and authorship of comments, and to get a firsthand perspective on legal advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities in Washington, D.C.”
Goraya cited student involvement programs of this kind as important not only in gaining valuable experience in both law and policy, but also in forming relationships with mentors in her chosen field. “[Eve Hill, former senior vice president of BBI] became a real mentor to me because we worked closely together,” said Goraya. “She guided me in learning to do sufficient research and in improving my writing.” Goraya feels that this is particularly significant given that she will soon graduate and start working. Without guidance of this kind, “you’d just be thrown into your first job without knowing what you’re doing,” she said. “Internships are so important in your transition from school to work.”
Student involvement at BBI is not limited to this program, however. Students at both the undergraduate and graduate level hold a number of internships and research assistant positions at BBI as well. Through these opportunities for participation, as well as the D.C. internship program, BBI has welcomed the work and contributions of more than 100 students. “Whether it is access to affordable health care, opportunities to advance employment and economic self-sufficiency, or protection of fundamental civil rights, there is an enormous need for the next generation of legal advocates,” Morris said. “The Disability Policy Leadership Program is a great example of BBI’s commitment to Syracuse University’s notion of Scholarship in Action.”
For more information about the program, click here
More about BBI’s commitment to educating the next generation of disability leaders
In addition to the Disability Policy Leadership Program, BBI is educating the next generation of disability leaders through innovative interdisciplinary opportunities at SU. The resulting impact on students and the Central New York community is noteworthy. One such endeavor is Inclusive Entrepreneurship Consulting, a course developed by BBI and taught in the Whitman School of Management. Through the course’s service-learning component, students serve as business consultants to budding entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The students’ experiences allow them to better understand the challenges faced by people with disabilities and think more consciously about disability issues—for example, employing people with disabilities—when they enter the business world. Inclusive Entrepreneurship Consulting received a 2010 Chancellor’s Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship.
About the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse UniversityBBI reaches around the globe to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, former dean of SU’s School of Education and a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. BBI engages in projects on civil and human rights, entrepreneurship and employment, technology access, and economic empowerment. With a staff of more than 50, BBI has offices in Syracuse, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. For more information, visit http://bbi.syr.edu.
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