Interview with Teri Adams : Disability at Stanford Oral History Project
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Teri Adams, who worked in Stanford’s Office of Accessible Education from 1995 to 2022 and served as its executive director from 2015 until her retirement, reflects on living with a skin condition called epidermolytic ichthyosis and her work on behalf of students with disabilities at Stanford. She describes the pain, blistering, mobility issues, and social difficulties that accompany this chronic illness and shares memories from her education in a public-school special education classroom and various work settings, where she encountered employment discrimination, a lack of disability infrastructure for staff, and the reluctance of managers to fully embrace needed accommodations. Adams reviews some of the important turning points in the history of the OAE and describes how the COVID-19 pandemic opened possibilities for remote work for people with disabilities.
Description
| Type of resource | moving image, sound recording-nonmusical, text |
|---|---|
| Extent | 2 video files; 2 audio files; 1 text file |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | March 9, 2022 - 2022-03-18 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Adams, Teri | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Adams, Teri | |
| Interviewer | Davis, Alison Carpenter | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Epidermolytic Ichthyosis |
|---|---|
| Subject | People with disabilities |
| Subject | Office of Accessible Education. Stanford University. |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical Profile | Teri Adams was born in San Mateo, California in 1957. She was born with a rare genetic mutation that causes the skin disorder Epidermolytic Ichthyosis. The is no cure for this disability, and there are only antibiotics and superficial treatments available to this day. At the age of 65, Teri uses both antibiotics and external/cosmetic treatments as sparingly as possible. After graduating from UC Hastings College of the Law in May 1993. Teri landed at Stanford University on May 17th, 1995. She retired on October 4th, 2022. All of Teri’s Stanford work was in the Office of Accessible Education. After a non-meteoric rise, Teri became the Executive Director in June 2015. When Teri started, she was one of three professional staff in the office, which served around 200 students. When Teri retired, the office had nineteen professional staff serving approximately 3,200 students. Many, many factors contributed to this rise in student clients--not just Teri’s charismatic presence drawing people in. Teri hopes to continue her advocacy for equity and access for people with disabilities as a consultant. She does not want to do this for free. |
|---|---|
| Summary Part 1 | [00:00:00 – 00:30:12] Growing up in San Mateo, California • Epidermolytic ichthyosis skin condition; pain and pain medication • Placement in special education classes • Education for Handicapped Children Act; busing to Crestmoor High School • Using a wheelchair to improve mobility and lessen pain • Doctors “approximating normality” over function and comfort • Experiences with physical therapy; fear of falling [00:30:12 – 01:09:08] Pain caused by walking • Disability straining relationship with mother • Blisters caused by exercise and repetitive movement • Diagnosis confirmed at Stanford Dermatology Clinic • Reflections on her parents’ handling of her disability • Experiences in special education program during elementary school and middle school • Friendships [01:09:08 – 01:29:09] Transition to high school • Early examples of advocacy • Inability to see friends outside of school due to physical limitations • Expressing discontent with social gatherings at San Mateo recreation center • Hobbies of reading and watching TV • Family relationships [01:29:09 – 02:14:44] Family trips to Disneyland, etc. • Attending College of San Mateo • First job as a file clerk; experiencing workplace discrimination • Workarounds for parking • Rehabilitation Department’s emphasis on employment • Difficulty performing vacuuming and household chores • Additional examples of clerical jobs and workplace discrimination due to skin condition • Importance of affirmation of intelligence by parents and teachers |
| Summary Part 2 | [00:00:00 – 00:36:18] Completing undergraduate studies at San Francisco State University • Decision to go law school • Accommodations at Hastings Law School; mobility aid from Rehabilitation Department • Difficulties with bar exam • Working at Disability Rights Advocates • Joining the staff of Stanford’s Disability Resource Center / Office of Accessible Education in 1995 • Lack of support structures for staff with disabilities at Stanford in 1995 • Conflicts with manager over disability accommodations [00:36:18 – 01:12:44] Approach to building trust between the OAE and student housing • Amicable relationship with new boss Joan Bisagno • Moving into program coordinator role • Present location of OAE on Salvatierra Way • Working with architects to design an accessible space • Conversion of student space in OAE • Activism related to students with disabilities, including advocating for elevator in Fire Truck House • Change over time at Student Affairs regarding disabilities and accommodations [01:12:44 – 01:26:23] Becoming program director and shifting from a disability specialist model to a disability generalist model • Schwab Learning Center while in OAE • Emphasizing students’ self-description of their disability • Student grievance process at OAE [01:26:23 – 01:50:00] COVID-19 pandemic and people with disabilities; remote work and instruction possibilities • Managers concerns with hybrid work • Reflections on living with epidermolytic ichthyosis |
| Transcript |
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| Finding Aid | |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/hk364dv5471 |
| Location | SC0932 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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