UCLA among disability friendly campuses

Thursday, February 25, 1999

UCLA among disability friendly campuses

FRIENDLINESS: Magazine ranks university seventh due to
accessible facilities

By Hemesh Patel

Daily Bruin Contributor

People with disabilities who are deciding whether or not to come
to a university like UCLA must take many considerations into
account.

Aside from academic concerns, these students also have to
consider whether or not the university will provide support
programs and equal access to facilities.

But according to a recent survey, such students should feel at
ease here. UCLA was recently ranked seventh nationwide by New
Mobility Magazine as one of the most disability-friendly colleges
in the nation.

"We have expanded our services based on the increasing number of
students with a variety of disabilities," said Linda Stolt,
assistant director of academic services for the Office for Students
with Disabilities (OSD).

The disabilities represented on campus range from visual and
hearing impairments to psychological disorders and chronic
illnesses, Stolt said.

"(UCLA) has gone beyond the law in meeting the needs of students
and providing them with equal access to the educational environment
on campus," she continued.

But despite advancements in resources available for students
with disabilities, some say there is still room for
improvement.

Patrick Burke, programming analyst for the computer lab
available to visually impaired students, said that although
bulletins are sent out to students with disabilities informing them
of construction and blocked pathways, there will always be
surprises.

Burke, who is also blind, said the sandwich boards around campus
are also an obstruction.

The OSD offers academic support services and access to students
with disabilities as mandated by Federal and State laws: the ADA
504 Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws set the
university standard.

As a result, they must provide equal physical access by placing
ramps, elevators and curbcuts throughout the campus, Levitt
said.

Such academic support services include notetaking, van services
and readers in Braille for students who are blind, said D. Dan
Levitt, assistant director of operations for the OSD.

Services provided by the OSD are being used by students around
the campus.

"I was surprised to see a sign language interpreter in one of my
classes; the range of resources here seem to be extensive," said
John Pham a first-year physiological sciences student.

Only two buildings are not accessible to students with
disabilities – the Dance Building and the Men’s Gym.

Resources available at UCLA are not concentrated in one
area.

"One of our strengths is having different entities throughout
the campus," Molini said.

The Union of Students with Disabilities (USD) provides students
with peer support and plans programs and events aimed at raising
the campus consciousness about disability-related issues.

In the past, there were no specific programs serving students,
but now, there are three learning disability specialists available
and a computer specialist providing students with the latest in
technological advancements.

"We provide students with screen reading programs and Brailling
services, as well as speech recognition software," Burke said.

Unfortunately, only "a couple dozen students a year come to use
(the computer lab service)," he said.

New Mobility Magazine ranked The University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign as first, UC Berkeley as second in the top 10
disability-friendly colleges.

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