Andrew Levinson, Fulbright Canada Student profile

Fulbright Canada had the opportunity this past year to support a young man with

a disability. As it turns out, Andrew Levinson is anything but disabled. He is bright, engaging, interesting, and, above all, dedicated to assisting people whose lives involve additional challenges. He is, quite literally, a man on a mission: a mission to improve the laws, to change public policy, and to assist a community that he believes in ... in every way that he can. Andrew won a prestigious Fulbright award, and he represented his country and his colleagues from his home university with enthusiasm, grace, and intellect.

We are pleased to call him a friend, and include him among our distinguished alumni.

Dr. Michael K. Hawes, Executive Director, Fulbright Canada Fulbright Scholar, 1999-2000, Queen’s University to University of California - Berkeley

Profile Andrew Levinson Independent

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The Fulbrighter of the Month for June is Andrew Levinson (2010-2011). Fresh off his Fulbright experience at York University where he conducted his research in critical disabilities studies, Andrew is the newest alumnus to be given the title of Fulbright Canada’s Fulbrighter of the Month! In an interview during the last weeks of his exchange, Andrew recalled his experience: Fulbright Canada: Can you start by telling us a bit about your plans going forward? Where do you see yourself going next, now that you are just a few weeks away from the end of your semester and your exchange?

Andrew Levinson: Well, I will certainly be looking into obtaining a position in policy and advocacy.

I am really interested in international exchange and international relations, now that I’ve had firsthand experience through the Fulbright Program. I hope to be involved in government and/or the non-profit sector. I want to make change in the way people with disabilities are treated collectively throughout the world. I hope that doesn’t sound like too much of a cliché, but I really do want to make positive change for people with disabilities. My ultimate goal is to help people reach the heights they want to reach and to have the opportunities I have had. I want to help give people the ability to pursue their dreams, whatever they may be, despite their having a disability. Being involved in the Fulbright Program, and especially with Fulbright Canada, has been such a wonderful opportunity in that this isn’t just about me, it’s about the idea of including people with disabilities. I was very honoured to be a part of all this.

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FC: Let’s talk about your journey to become a Fulbrighter. What initially drew you to the program?

AL: The first time I heard the name Fulbright was around six years ago. I was traveling back from a college football game, and I remember listening to an audio copy of Bill Clinton’s autobiography, “My Life: The Presidential Years”. Clinton mentioned working for Senator Fulbright, the man who inspired the creation of the Fulbright Program. Later, when I heard that the Institute of International Education was going to be holding a meeting at my university in the U.S., I immediately thought of the Fulbright Program. I had always wanted to have an experience that would increase not only my academic knowledge, but my cultural knowledge, so I went to the IIE meeting and talked to some people, and then I spoke to a couple of professors at my university who had been Fulbright Scholars as well. It just seemed so interesting and really appealed to my desire to travel and experience a new culture, so I decided I would apply for a Fulbright grant. My interest in Canada as my Fulbright destination came after a trip to the Canadian Maritimes. While I was there, I met people with disabilities who were experiencing the attendant care system as wheelchair-users. Meeting these people influenced my desire to study the experiences of people living with disabilities, not just in the US, but in Canada.

FC: What was your reaction when you found out that you had been awarded a Fulbright?

AL: It was a moment I will remember my entire life. I got an e-mail and, at first, I was in shock. Given the type of people who have won the award previously, my success gave validation to all of the hard work I had done in my academic career. After reading the e-mail, I gave my mother a call, because I had to call her. She was driving at the time and I said, ‘Mom, take a listen to this,’ and I played her the Canadian national anthem. It was such an amazing moment for both of us.

FC: How do you think being a Fulbrighter has impacted you professionally?

AL: I thought about things that I’d never really thought about before, and doing the Fulbright made these things very tangible. I also met a lot of really wonderful people in Toronto who I plan on staying in contact with. This experience has been really special for me that way. I had one professor in particular who is a disability rights attorney in Toronto, and he has opened a door for future communication. I was also able to connect with other Fulbrighters and contacts during the fall orientation in Ottawa. I met Virginia McRae, an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Department of Justice Canada, who in turn gave my information to Ruth Barr, and she is involved with the Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities; and it’s because of those connections I’ll be giving a presentation on my research to a national audience very soon. My presentation will be on the Americans with Disabilities, and comparing it with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. We will be videoconferencing to Ottawa and Edmonton and teleconferencing to other offices around the country as well. My hope is that this will create even more professional connections. So I would say that I’ve made a lot of connections definitely, and I’ve been able to share what I’ve been doing with a lot of people. It’s just been very special that way.

FC: What about personally? Has being a Fulbrighter impacted you on a personal level?

AL: I would say that it definitely has. It has been an incredible opportunity for self-enrichment.

I learned to appreciate, even more, the American value of “equal opportunity.” In other words, it created in me a confidence that the United States remains true to its ideals, by allowing one to pursue research in any field.

FC: Do you have a favourite moment from your Fulbright experience?

AL: I will never forget a conversation I had with a U.S. diplomat while I was visiting the United States Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson’s residence in Ottawa. Speaking to her about U.S. security and disability policy, as we stood on Canadian soil, was exhilarating.

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FC: What surprised you about being in Canada?

AL: I did an interview with one of the PR people here at York who is an American himself, and he was talking to me about how different political worldviews are between the two countries. Many Americans believe that Canada, because of geographic proximity and cultural ties between the two countries, is an extension of the United States. When Americans come to Canada, they aren’t really expecting to have a difference of opinion with Canadians on world affairs, but there is. They may speak English, and they may watch our TV shows, but Canadians have a clear difference of opinion.

FC: What stood out for you most about your experience in Canada?

AL: I experienced the Canadian emphasis on “human rights” for all of its citizens. Even as a visitor, I was swept up in this ideal because it is embroiled in the infrastructure of Canada. This concept has an impact on many different areas of society, including the existence of physical access to transportation and educational services.

There is also an acceptance of minority groups here that benefits people with disabilities, and I feel that perhaps when there is more diversity, everybody who is diverse is more comfortable. Everyone is a minority of some sort, if you will. It’s just a theory that I have, but I wonder if Canadian “multiculturalism” extends to the “culture” of disability.

Andrew with Dr. Michael Hawes at the Fulbright Canada fall orientation hockey game in Ottawa, ON.

“If you want to know about moments that I will always remember, the Ottawa trip especially was amazing.

Going to the Ambassador’s home there - and playing hockey – in hockey country!”

FC: What were some of the differences you noticed between Canadians and Americans?

AL: I found that Canadians are more laid-back in terms of work culture, as is evidenced by the existence of vacationing here. Moreover, Canadians are known to be some of the most highly-educated people in the world, based upon large rates of post-secondary educational attainment, and this might be due to the fact that higher education in Canada is more affordable, with a predominance of affordable, public, educational institutions. In terms of my research, while in Canada my public policy professor told my class that the prevalence of more positive attitudes towards people with disabilities among the Canadian public are often correlated with the presence of people in wheelchairs, as opposed to the presence of people with intellectual disabilities. In my experience, it seems that the United States is the direct opposite to this, as there is a broader acceptance of intellectual disability, as opposed to physical disability, in the US.

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FC: Assuming that this type of exchange through the Fulbright Program is important, why do you feel that it is important that we send students and scholars between Canada and the United States to do research?

AL: People need to break down stereotypes, and the greatest thing I was able to do here was helping people to dispel their own stereotypes about Americans, like the idea that America is a warring nation, rather than a peacekeeping one. These stereotypes may start out in a benign way but they can eventually become, in my opinion, a threat to world peace. I think programs like the Fulbright Program ensure that ties between Canada and the US, which have been so strong for many years, will endure.

People need to see that we may have disagreements but, at the end of the day, we can still come together and have fruitful discussions.

FC: As an American, how do you feel that Canada can learn from the United States? And conversely, now that you’ve spent time living in Canada, what do you think the US can perhaps learn from the Canadian example?

AL: I feel that the U.S. can learn to have more of a work-life balance. In Canada there is more importance placed on the idea of taking time away from work. At the same time, I think that the U.S. has a great entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps, both countries need to strive for balance. When it comes to health care, Canada has created a health care system that covers as many people as possible, in the areas of hospital and physician services. And while the health care system in Canada isn’t as complete as one might like to be, with a lack of coverage for drugs and eye care for example, it is still a model for a country like the United States which does not yet have universal coverage for its population. It is an ideal to which the U.S. should aspire. At the same time however, community-based care services in the U.S., although not part of a universal health care scheme, exist in large-part because of the American emphasis on independent living and self-determination. So again, both countries have room for improvement, and a lot to learn from each other.

FC: Talking about your work, you have highlighted that there are differences between the Canadian and American approaches to disability rights and particularly policy creation. Can you explain why, from your perspective that Canada seems to be lagging a bit on the policy side?

AL: As far as Canada’s lack of movement on the disability policy side goes, I think part of it might be that disability rights are already enshrined in the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. So maybe that’s part of the reason—that these rights have already been enshrined in the Canadian Constitution, and so there seems to be no need for further disability policies. The United States’ Constitution, on the other hand, makes no mention of disability and the “human rights” of people with disabilities, and this has given momentum to the American disability rights movement, in terms of promoting strong disability policy to enshrine these rights outside of the American constitutional framework. They may not be exactly the same scenarios, but we really need to look at the structures that are holding people from their potential, whether that’s people with disabilities or anybody else.

FC: What would you say to someone thinking about applying for a Fulbright?

AL: I would advise them that the program is as world-class as it’s known to be. You will have strong backing from the Fulbright Program, from start to finish. Make sure that your application process is organized, and that you have a strong proposal. If your research idea is unique and involves an idea that you have always wanted to pursue, then just go for it! My Fulbright experience represented a time in my life where I got to do something really special and really important.

“I think programs like the Fulbright Program ensure that ties between Canada and the US, which have been so strong for many years, will endure.”

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FC: Is there anything else you would like to say about your Fulbright experience?

AL: I can always look back on my year abroad and see how much I accomplished. It’s not just that I had to become used to living my life in other country. I completed an accelerated Master’s program. My academic accomplishments here were very important to me. At York University, I was sure to spend some time integrating myself into campus life, and recently I evaluated a new accessibility website at York University that is meant to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and my recommendations on it were implemented. So it was exciting to see how I, as an international student, could participate in implementing law outside of the United States. It’s just things like that which show, that this hasn’t just been about my experience, it’s about making the world a better place, and it’s about bringing my experience from the US here. It’s been quite a ride, and quite an adventure!

FC: Well now you’re an alumnus! So you get to stay involved through our alumni programs!

AL: I know, and I cannot say enough about how great I think that is. Why should this experience end, when I get home? To all future Fulbrighters, it is important for you to know that a Fulbright experience is just one step towards creating a better world, both domestically and internationally, and that one can continue on a path to future successes and achievement, as part of the large network of Fulbright Alumni.

The 2010-2011 Fulbright Canada grantees with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson, at his residence during fall orientation in Ottawa, ON.

To learn more about the Fulbrighter of the Month program contact Fulbright Canada’s alumni coordinator Jesse Davies, at jdavies@fulbright.ca or 613-688-5519.

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