by Donna Carol Maheady Ed.D., C.P.N.P., R.N. New Jersey:Exceptional Parent Press, 2003, 192 pages, Price: $19.95 USA (hard cover)

This book is an excellent explanation and review of the academic process in the world of Special Education in the United States. The author, Donna Meheady, writes from an intimate and knowledgeable position: She is a college professor who has assisted nursing students, some of whom disclosed their disability and others who did not, and she is the mother of Lauren,who happens to have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In Nursing Students with Disabilities: Change the Course, the author reminds us that we often identify Special Education in terms of "alphabet soup." She then provides examples and explanations for much of the alphabet: IEP (Individual Education Plan); FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education); IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), formally known as P. L. 94-142 or the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975. The author further explains the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Although the topic could be dry or boring, in this author's hands, it is not. Rather, it is an excellent reminder of the civil rights to which we are all entitled.

As human beings and nursing professionals we must often stop and reflect upon the human condition. Hopefully, we do it with respect, dignity and compassion. Yet this book reveals that in the real world, those wishing to be admitted to the nursing profession sometimes find these qualities and traits lacking. It was enlightening, humbling and anger provoking to read the stories of eight other people - quite ordinary, yet extraordinary people - who desperately want to become nurses. Although some have disabilities prior to their admission to nursing school and others become disabled during their academic pursuits, each struggles to meet the academic, environmental, and emotional challenges, and even professional biases, they encounter. As the author notes, perhaps the first hurdle many students face is an issue of trust - whether to disclose a disability. If the individual with a disability trusts and discloses his/her disability, will he/she be granted admission? And, if he/she becomes disabled during his/her academic program, will the institution make reasonable accommodations so that he/she can continue with his/her education? Once in a nursing program, students with disabilities sometimes find themselves challenged by the belief that nurses with disabilities pose a threat to the safety of their patients and that students with disabilities should not be pursuing a nursing career.

It was heartening, however, to read about colleges and universities that embrace and support the individual with a disability, yet it was disheartening to read about colleges that did not. The author notes that harassment, which is generally introduced by the student's peers, is sometimes apparent, and that when it is, the student with a disability finds the challenges that much greater. As Maheady indicates, discrimination - whether it is institutionally allowed or individually perpetrated - is illegal.

The author addresses issues of discrimination, acceptance, and academic opportunity for persons with disabilities with a most innovative and enlightening suggestion. As part of her doctoral dissertation, she developed the "Individual Nursing Education Plan" as a method for tailoring education goals to meet the specific needs of each nursing student with a disability and seamlessly integrating their experiences within the academic and professional community. Maheady explains that she used the IEP (Individual Education Plan) as a practical model for her INEP and found that the model was highly transferable to the college setting for nursing students with disabilities. In fact, the book is based largely on the INEPs the author wrote for each of the eight nursing students she discusses.

Maheady expertly and professionally explains that no matter what a student's disability is, there are laws in place designed to help students meet their education goals. With acceptance, an examination of institutional and personal biases, and plans to remedy barriers students face, Maheady shows very clearly that students with disabilities can be competent and caring nurses without compromising their own or their patients' safety. Furthermore, Nursing Students with Disabilities: Change the Course reminds us that none of us is exempt from accidents or diseases that could cause a disability.

Note: This book contains many valuable resources for nurse educators, practicing nurses, and nursing students.

Anne Marie Reames, LPN, DDC
Treasurer, Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association
www.ddna.org