Alumnus Rumrill Discusses Supporting Students with Disabilities

Senior year in high school can be the most exciting and most tumultuous time for young people, as they get ready to leave the familiar and begin their first year of college. There are the emotions and uncertainties about what the next years will bring, not to mention a long list of “lasts” to scratch off high school bucket lists.

Imagine trying to navigate those trials and tribulations after losing most of your functional vision. Such was the plight of Dr. Phillip Rumrill ’89 M’91, who recently returned to campus to speak not only about overcoming a disability, but also about his work as an advocate for the disabled as founding director of the Center for Disability Studies at Kent State University in Ohio and professor and coordinator of Kent State’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program.

Born in Keene and raised in Westminster, Vt., Rumrill told the crowd that he’s a very proud product of the incredible teaching and learning environment at Keene State. “I’m a grateful beneficiary of the campus climate here that respects diversity and supports students with disabilities as they pursue their goals,” said Rumrill, the first person in his family to attend college. “My parents made it very clear that I was expected to take full advantage of that opportunity in no uncertain terms.”

Rumrill’s dream to attend college appeared to be dashed when he contracted a fairly rare condition called Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) going into his senior year at Bellows Falls Union High School. “It was like the rug being pulled out from under me in a number of different ways,” said Rumrill, who is legally blind.

Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, Rumrill and his parents contacted the state vocational rehabilitation program in Vermont. Counselors played a pivotal role, mapping out a plan that included his enrollment at Keene State. “I can’t tell you how important it was for me to get hooked up right away with resources from that program,” he said. “I was figuring out what I was going to do with the rest of my life and adjusting to the disability. It was a tremendous opportunity when they provided the guidance and support that allowed me to come to Keene State.”

Rumrill spoke fondly of his days at KSC, especially about his association with special academic services, the precursor to the current Office of Disability Services. “I didn’t know enough to believe in myself,” he said. “What I remember most about my experience at Keene State is the support that I received. That’s what makes the difference here.”

Many of Rumrill’s former professors were on hand to hear him speak, including Deb Merchant, an associate professor of education, who recalls Rumrill as a very bright student with tenacity and drive.

Working as a tutor and a peer counselor with disabled students as a junior and senior, Rumrill stayed at KSC to earn his master’s before heading to the University of Arkansas for his PhD in Rehabilitation Education. Rumrill spent two years at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before coming to Kent State in 1996.

Rumrill, who has authored or co-authored 200 professional journal articles; 37 book chapters, monographs, measurement instruments, and training manuals; and 12 books since earning his doctorate degree, trains rehabilitation counselors at Kent State to provide the very kinds of services and support that he received at Keene State. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for me to work in a field and make contributions in a discipline that has really meant so much to my own personal end and development,” he said. “It’s easy to get up every day and be part of a process that is both very gratifying and extremely rewarding.”

During his talk, Rumrill touched on many topics and related research, including the employment of people with disabilities, particularly the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rumrill also shared his perspective on the transition of disabled students into higher education and from higher education into the workforce.

Following the event, Rumrill spoke with several disabled students who came to hear him speak. “I learned there are a lot of things you can do for yourself,” said junior Connor Crum, a visually impaired management major from Swanzey, NH. “College has always been in my plan since high school. I’d like to run my own business someday.”

Rumrill offered words of encouragement to Crum, telling him “the only thing limiting you is your ability to learn – not your ability to see.”