The United States' top education official has been traveling through the Midwest by school bus and made a couple stops in Illinois. The U.S. Secretary of Education's visit to the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus today highlighted services for disabled students.
Arne Duncan came to the U of I to meet with students who benefit from the university's disability resource program.
Students like Meredith Bradford, a senior studying recreation sport and tourism, who not only manages the men's wheelchair basketball team, but also is on the national ski team for Disabled Sports USA.
"Yes, I am an athlete. I train two days a week when I'm here year-round with the assistance of the rehab gym within DRES here at U of I. They've been amazing with me."
Bradford, who has cerebral palsy, lives in a fully accessible dormitory, and receives help from student personal assistants.
Secretary Duncan acknowledged the amount of resources it takes to equip a program like U of I's, but says it's the gold standard.
"Our young people need these kinds of things and our communities, our country need and deserve their talent.”
Duncan praised the U of I's disability program as the model the rest of the country can look to.
