Dr. Joseph Drew (right), Kent State associate professor of political science, assists Todd Mix, a student in the distance learning program started by Drew at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Photo by Jeff Glidden, '87 VIDEO EXCLUSIVE Watch Dr. Joseph Drew and some of the students participating in the distance learning program discuss the pilot program. TESTIMONIALS Meet others involved in the pilot distance learning program at Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veteran Affairs.

Hope is Just a Click Away

Technology helps veterans with disabilities earn degrees

The silence is deafening; tension and excitement hang in the air. Thousands of eyes watch the lone figure at the front of the group, waiting for a single motion. The signal is given, and hundreds of soldiers returning from Iraq rush toward their loved ones in a passionate display of hugs, kisses and tears.

These are the men and women who return from war unharmed. But for the thousands of soldiers who become physically disabled while serving their country, the homecoming reception is not quite the same. They are likely to face a long and difficult recovery — both physical and emotional. They and their families will contend with their disability for the rest of their lives. Many will become discouraged and lose faith in the future.

Kent State University has partnered with the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center to offer disabled veterans the opportunity for a brighter outlook — through online access to college degrees and, with that, the possibility of a successful career.

“I want to provide hope for veterans with disabilities — hope they can rebuild their lives in a relatively short period of time,” says Dr. Joseph Drew, Kent State associate professor of political science and director of the program, the first of its kind in the nation at a VA hospital to allow veterans with physical disabilities to acquire any online degree offered in the United States.

He adds, “It is important to reach the soldiers as soon as possible,” noting worries about down time and patient frustration that can occur in some rehabilitation settings.

Drew modeled this initiative on a similar project he developed at Kent State using a successful combination of computer disability stations (specifically designed to accommodate persons who are quadriplegic or blind) and the university’s only entirely online degree program, a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), which Drew directs. This M.P.A. is the only such program in the nation that meets or exceeds the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other legislation dealing with electronic accessibility for persons with disabilities. Although he created the online M.P.A. to serve persons with physical disabilities, caregivers and those swamped by workloads and family obligations, Drew realized the potential to apply the same technology to help severely injured veterans returning from Iraq and previous wars.

Each year approximately 400 newly injured veterans and active duty members receive rehabilitation at VA centers in the United States. Some of the most critically injured are at the Spinal Cord Injury/Dysfunction (SCI) Unit at the Stokes VA Medical Center, where the new joint educational program is located. Dr. Chester Ho, acting SCI chief, is responsible for identifying veterans with physical disabilities that affect their learning.

“For patients with spinal cord injury, vocational and educational rehab has always been a challenge, but this is a great opportunity to help our veterans achieve their goals,” he says.

Next page: Special software places the students in a simulated classroom...