|
HISTORY OF SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES
AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – LA CROSSE
Section
504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandates access
such that “each program and activity, when reviewed in its
entirety, is readily accessible to persons with disabilities and
offered in the most integrated setting appropriate.”
Disabilities included are: mobility and sensory impairments,
major physiological illness, mental retardation, specific
learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and chemical
dependency. These conditions must be of a degree that they
seriously impair one or more of life’s major activities.
Title V of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is generally regarded as the first
civil rights legislation for persons with disabilities on the
national level. The guidelines developed by the (then)
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, (now the U.S.
Department of Education) have direct impact on the higher
education community. It is this Section 504 mandate that
has promoted the development of disability support service
programs in colleges and universities across the country for
over twenty years.
At the
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, a Section 504
Self-Study was completed in 1977. On November 21, 1977,
the Affirmative Action Council’s Handicap Subcommittee (now, the
Individuals with Disabilities Advocacy Committee - IDAC) held
its first meeting. The twelve members were appointed by
Chancellor Kenneth E. Linder to implement Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oversight of the Subcommittee
and the University’s compliance with Section 504 was delegated
to the 504 Coordinator, who was the Affirmative Action Director.
Primary responsibility of the subcommittee was determined to
include:
1. to monitor
notification requirements
2. to send out
questionnaires to departments either not reached or not
responding during initial self-evaluation process
3. to review
materials received from individual departments or units
4. to continuously
inform faculty and others of their obligations under the
regulation
5. to support and
to assist in the development of a brochure describing services
for the students with disabilities
6.
to support and
assist in the expansion of the Student Orientation Program to
include sessions for students with disabilities
The first year of the Subcommittee’s existence was devoted to an
intensive self-study to evaluate the university’s compliance
with Section 504. The already established grievance
procedures were formally extended to disability grievances.
In 1979, the Handicapped Student Association (now Students
Advocating for Potential Ability) was formed with the purpose
of:
1. Supporting
handicapped students
2. Facilitating
awareness of handicapped student needs
3.
Supporting
basic rights of all students, resisting discrimination in all
forms against handicapped students.
In October, the first annual Handicapped Awareness Days was held
by the WHO (We Help Others) organization on campus.
Chancellor Richards met the public in front of Cartwright Center and rode in a wheelchair to lunch in Cartwright Center as part of the awareness activities. Movies and a panel were
also part of the activities.
During 1980, the emphasis was
on modifying the physical facilities on campus to provide
access. Cartwright Center was a particular area of concentration, as well as faculty offices,
elevators, and the concept of malls between buildings to
increase access. The student organization (WHO) changes
its name to the Campus Committee for Special Population and
again held awareness days for special populations.
In October of 1981, the
Handicapped Student Services Office was established in Wilder
Hall and a Coordinator was hired to implement services for the
students with disabilities. The position was by State
money (25%) and a Student Support Services grant (75%).
Thirteen students identified with disabilities were served.
The issues addressed by the
Handicap Subcommittee during the 1982-83 academic year included:
more visibility of department handicap representatives, handicap
representatives in all departments, access to Cartwright Center, safety issues for students with disabilities, and scheduling
accessibility. Program brochures were developed which
contained the message that special accommodations necessary for
persons with handicaps to attend programs would be made if two
weeks notice prior to the event was given. The Accessible
Teacher Award was established and awarded. Students were
added to the Handicapped Subcommittee.
In 1983-84, handicap-parking
spaces, the need for funding for the programs, ice and snow
removal on campus when it affected handicapped students, and
access ramps for wheelchairs were issues. A Murphy Grant
for $400.00 was obtained for the development of in-service
programs.
During 1984-85, a survey
dealing with the needs of students with disabilities was sent
out to faculty and instructional staff. At that time,
there were 126 students being served by the Handicapped Student
Services Office. The tradition of “Handicapped Awareness”
conferences continued. In May of 1985, state funding from
the Associate Vice-Chancellor of Student Development, Dr. Tom
Hood, was requested for a Handicapped Services Coordinator.
Dr. Hood put the request for 1 FTE position to coordinate
handicapped student services as the top priority in his budget
for 1986-87. The Coordinator of Disability Services and
several students with disabilities did an in-service for the
Physical Plant personnel, which was well received.
However, only 40% of the departments on campus took part in the
in-service workshops that were offered.
The subcommittee reviewed
increased contact with the department handicap representatives
and housing coordinators. A policy was established to
refer temporarily disabled students, who were planning to leave
the university because of their disability, to the coordinator
of Handicapped Services who was to provide information on
available services. Emergency evacuation of students with
handicaps was discussed without the desired response being
obtained from the campus committee on emergency procedures.
The university committee did not provide specific reference to
students with disabilities in the emergency plan. Amplified pay
phones were installed in North Hall and Cartwright Center.
In 1986-87, a new coordinator was hired to direct the services
for students with disabilities on campus. On October 7,
1986, the faculty departmental handicap representatives
presented information regarding availability of services at
their department meetings. The issue of whether the
Handicap Subcommittee should be part of the Affirmative Action
Office or within the University was raised. A faculty
member, who was also a Handicap Subcommittee member, was
appointed to serve on the UW-System Working Group on Students
with Disabilities to develop System-wide guidelines. The
group made a call for proactive rather than reactive approaches
to accommodation. The persons doing taping and pushing
wheelchair became volunteers.
In 1987-88, Halley Young Sr. was the second person in the
history of the Handicapped Subcommittee to receive recognition
for his leadership and contributions in making UW-La Crosse
accessible. The Handicapped Student Services Coordinator
was funded with state funding and provided with student-help
money. The number of students with handicaps served was
now 151.
The Board of Regents passed the UW-System Policy for the
Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability.
Chancellor Richards disseminated the policy to the university
administrators and faculty leaders. The UW-System was the
third in the country in developing a policy that related to
disabilities. The Handicapped Student Services
Office changed its name to the Office for Students with Special
Needs. There was an additional advisor, supported by the
TRIO grant, and hired half time to assist with services to
students with disabilities. The TRIO grant is a federal
grant that services students that are first generation,
low-income and students with disabilities. A tape-dubbing
machine was purchased that year. Career Services worked in
cooperation with the personnel from the Office of Students with
Special Needs to create internship opportunities for students
with disabilities. The Lectures and Concerts Committee
began the conscious consideration of performers with
disabilities in their programming. Emergency Evacuation
procedure issues were not resolved. Priority snow and ice
removal policies were discussed and it was decided that students
should talk to Physical Plant directly if there were problems.
In 1988-89, stable funding for in-services on disability issues
was proposed. The Chancellor, on August 31, 1989, approved
a proposal to allocate $2000.00 per year to be established in
the Student Development Division for in servicing. These
funds were to be administered by the Coordinator for Students
with Special Needs for training and programming on campus.
Dr. Jane Jarrow, a national expert in post-secondary
disabilities, spoke on campus in a series of workshops.
Also, Dr. Barbara Cordony, an expert in learning disabilities,
spoke in a series of workshops for faculty, staff and students
on campus. The 504 Coordinator (the Affirmative Action
Director) was reaffirmed as being responsible for implementation
of compliance with the Regents policy on students with
disabilities in a letter from UW-System and by Chancellor
Richards in his State of the University address. A draft
of an Emergency Evacuation Policy was presented to the
Handicapped Subcommittee.
In 1988-89, 2.2 percent of
the total student enrollment population at UW-La Crosse
identified to the Office of Students with Special Needs with a
physical or learning disability. This figure can be
compared to the System average of 1.4 percent. The
staff/student ratio number serving students with disabilities on
the UW-L campus was significantly higher than the programs at
the other UW System universities. The statewide average of
staff-student ratio is 79, while the average at UW-L was 134 in
the 1989 school year. Statewide $168.00 per student was
allocated for students with disabilities, at UW-La Crosse the
cost per student was only $118.00. Also in 1989, an
UW-System evaluation on the implementation of the UW-System
Policy and Guidelines Related to Nondiscrimination on the Basis
of Disabilities was completed.
Issues raised in 1989-90 included: funding, learning
disabilities diagnostic testing costs, and adaptable computers
on campus. The Chancellor’s State of the University
message indicated that the Handicap Subcommittee was
implementing the Regent’s Policy on Students with Disabilities.
Primary and secondary winter access routes were standardized by
policy. Section 508 of the 1996 Amendments to the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were discussed by the Handicap
Subcommittee in reference to electronic office equipment.
The 1990’s brought many changes in the delivery of services to
students and staff with disabilities on the UW-La Crosse campus.
The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
was passed in 1990. The ADA, a civil rights guarantee for
persons with disabilities in the United States, provides
protection from discrimination for individuals on the basis of
disability. The ADA extends civil rights protections for
people with disabilities to the private sector, transportation,
public accommodations, services provided by state and local
government, and telecommunication relay services. The
significance of this legislation is no less than the civil
rights acts in the 1960s for minorities. Post-secondary
institutions that receive federal money are additionally
required to comply with a similar disability nondiscrimination
law---Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The ADA also upholds and
extends the standards for compliance set forth in Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in the areas of employment and
promotion practices, meeting planning, and communications.
Therefore, with the passage of ADA, UW-La Crosse named a campus
ADA Compliance Officer. This position was assigned to the
current Affirmative Action Officer/504 Compliance Officer.
During the early 90’s, the students wrote and acted in a play,
entitled Label Jars Not People, which was intended to
sensitize the university community about issues dealing with
individuals with disabilities. Performances of this
play were attended by more than 300 people. Also, in 1990,
the Famous People Players, a national touring company composed
of people with disabilities, was brought to campus as part of
the Lectures and Concerts Series. In 1991, the Handicap
Subcommittee changed its name to the Individuals with
Disabilities Advocacy Committee (IDAC) to reflect a new
structure, direction, and vitality for the committee. The
1991-92 school year brought a new Chancellor to campus.
The Chancellor met with the IDAC members to discuss the future
of services to persons with disabilities on campus as well as
the committee’s interest in including disabilities as part of
the new campus strategic planning process.
Many of the initiatives in the early 90’s revolved around the
changing of funding and reporting lines of the Special Needs
office, personnel in the disability service areas, space and
accessibility issues, and adaptable computer accessibility for
students. With the 1992 Reauthorization of the Higher
Education Act, a number of changes occurred on the UW-La Crosse
campus that affected the service to students with disabilities.
The Trio grants participants were redefined by the Higher
Education Act. The number of students with disabilities
eligible to be served by the grant was redefined and the
university was required to provide services for students no
longer covered by the grant.
At that time, there also was a separation of the special needs
portion of the grant. The existing special needs advisor, funded
under the grant, remained in the Office of Student Support
Services. However, this individual was to work with, and
for, Special Needs Services. In 1993, the Special Needs
Services office was established as a separate reporting line to
the Director of Counseling and Testing and an additional
advisor, funded by 102 dollars, was assigned to the Special
Needs Services
The number of students with disabilities served under the Trio
grant was 200. However, a mandated change in counting students
served was necessary because of a statement in the
Reauthorization Act, which reads, “not less than one-third of
disabled students seen through Student Support Services will be
low-income”. At that time only 10 percent of the students
with disabilities on campus were low-income. Therefore,
during 1993-94, the target numbers for students served under the
grant was 60. Many other changes occurred as a result of
this mandate. The development of separate programming,
funded on one hand by the university and on the other by the
grant, was one of the main issues at the time.
During the early 1990’s, two residence hall rooms in Wentz Hall
were designed for students with physical disabilities and the
building was equipped with an elevator. Thus, Wentz was
considered to be the “accessible” residence hall. The IDAC
group (Individuals with Disabilities Advocacy Committee) worked
on computer accessibility and with having more visible
representation of persons with disabilities in university
publications. There was a great deal of discussion at that
time to move the Special Needs Office to the new library
addition because of accessibility, since the library addition
would be built under new ADA guidelines. There were three
new teletypewriters (TTY’s) purchased by
UW-La Crosse to make programs
more accessible to deaf and hard of hearing students.
During this time, the ADA committee began a self-study of UW-La
Crosse’s needs for persons with disabilities. In 1993, the
campus began its strategic planning process, forming a study
committee, the Diversity Action Group, which concluded ADA had
greatly impacted the concept that individuals with disabilities
are a minority population and that individuals with disabilities
belong within the definition of “campus diversity.”
In 1993-94, IDAC provided training at for new faculty and staff
orientation. An open house for the new computer lab in
Wittich Hall, with four adaptable computers for students with
disabilities, was held. The Affirmative Action Office, the
Personnel Office, and the Services for Special Needs office in
cooperation with Western
Wisconsin Technical College sponsored an ADA Teleconference. A Professional Staff grant
written by June Reinert, Coordinator of the Special Needs
Office, was funded to bring a national expert in disability
issues to campus to provide education/training sessions and to
review and report on disability services on the UW-La Crosse
campus. Implementation of the university
reorganization, from the campus strategic plan of 1993-94, began
during the summer of 1994. One element of the plan
was the creation of the Human Resources and Diversity Office led
by an Association Vice Chancellor. The education and
advocacy components formerly reporting to the Assistant to the
Chancellor for Affirmation Action were transferred to this newly
established unit. IDAC was one of these diversity elements
to come under the auspices of the new office.
In October of 1994, Dr. Jane Jarrow, Executive Director of
Association of Higher Education and Disability, a nationally
recognized leader in the field of providing services for college
students with disabilities, visited the campus for three days.
During
Dr. Jarrow’s assessment
period, she met with administrators, faculty, staff, and
students, delivered seven presentations, including in-service
workshops, and met personally with a number of individuals to
discuss and review disability issues.
In February 1995, Dr. Jarrow provided a “Site Visit Report” with
recommendations for the university in regards to disability
issues on the UW-La Crosse campus. The main
recommendations were as follows:
1. It is
recommended that consideration be given to the possibility of
moving the Services for Students with Disabilities to a new
location in a more physically accessible building, with expanded
space that would provide the opportunity for more appropriate
delivery of services.
2. It is
recommended that serious consideration be given to moving the
lines for reporting and the budgetary responsibility for
Services for Students with Disabilities from the Student Affairs
Division to some other area of the institution’s administrative
structure that will allow for more timely response, authority
for action, and the availability of adequate funding and
resources to assure the institution’s legal compliance with
federal mandates.
3. It is recommended that the
institution take immediate steps to put in place formal written
policies regarding
when and how
students with disabilities will be accommodated in the academic
program.
4. It is
recommended that an aggressive (re) education plan be mounted to
assure that students know their rights, that faculty understand
their responsibilities, and that all parties are knowledgeable
regarding institutionally prescribed policies/procedures
regarding academic adjustments.
Some
of the above issues were discussed and some recommendations are
still to be addressed by the university in the next millennium.
The 1995-96 school year brought changes to the way services for
students with disabilities were delivered on campus. The
name of Disability Services/Special Needs Services was changed
to Disability Resource Services (DRS) and was relocated in a new
space in the library addition, sharing the area with the Upward
Bound Office. The location proved to be much more
accessible. The DRS office now was officially separated
from the Student Support Services Office. The DRS staff
included a Coordinator, an Advisor, an Accommodations Manager,
and an LTE administrative support position.
The advisor position for students with disabilities funded by
the Student Support Services grant remained in Wilder Hall.
One of the main reasons that the DRS office moved to the new
location was because of physical accessibility. Therefore,
the advisor still located in Wilder was not assigned any
students with physical disabilities.
The DRS Office provided all of the accommodations and any new
intakes of students to the program. The Student Support
Services office provided disability advising, but that advisor
has worked very carefully with the DRS Coordinator to ensure the
consistency of service and compliance with federal guidelines as
they relate to persons with disabilities.
In 1995, accessible computers were moved into the Wing Communication Center.
The consolidation of accessible computers was completed with
students input and consideration as well as input from the
Disability Services Office. Push button automatic door
openers were installed to accommodate accessibility.
In the 1994-95 academic year, the ADA Self-Evaluation Desk Audit
tool was developed, with input from all UW campuses, by
UW-System Administration. The ADA Desk Audit is based on
the federal law and regulations, technical assistance materials,
and involving legal opinions. This tool will be very
helpful to the campus to ensure that UW-La Crosse has identified
and addressed all areas that require review and evaluation.
UW-La Crosse Campus Planning Office continues to address
accessibility issues noted in the self-study through major and
minor repair and remodeling projects.
The Students Advocating Potential Ability (SAPA) was alive and
well through the 1990’s, presenting many informational
conferences every spring, including career information,
advocacy, recreational opportunities, and disabilities services
within the greater La Crosse area. The SAPA student group
is also involved in presenting sensitivity workshops, as well as
being an integral part of the Diversity Week presentations.
The “Most Accessible Professor Award” was presented annually.
In addition, a “Staff Excellence Award” and an award for the
“Most Accessible Department” were also given. Students
with disabilities choose the “Most Accessible Professor” and
“Department” awards, while the DRS staff choose the “Staff
Excellence Award.”
The members of the Individuals with Disabilities Advocacy
Committee (IDAC) have worked diligently to provide education for
faculty and staff. In 1996-97, the DRS office and IDAC
created a significant tool with the development of The
Faculty-Staff Manual for Students with Disabilities.
This handbook is design to provide understanding of ADA and
System policies, legal issues, and sensitivity issues as they
relate to students with disabilities, with input from all UW
campuses. Another handbook, called the Reasonable
Accommodation Policy and Procedures Manual for Employees with
Disabilities, which had been created earlier, was
re-distributed throughout the campus community.
A series of transparencies and presentation outline packets,
which also included the Faculty-Staff Manual for Students
with Disabilities, were developed for use by unit and
department representatives for individuals with disabilities
(RIDS). There were six in-service demonstrations given for
RIDS representatives to illustrate how to present the new
in-service packets to their individual departments. Four
of the in-service packets were located in the DRS office for
RIDS use.
The DRS office recommended that a sign-language interpreter be
provided for all formal, public university functions, that
proper Braille signage be installed in all buildings, and that
all new educational videos purchased by the university include
close captioning. In 1997 the DRS office received a
computer that had a voice synthesizer, students who needed taped
textbooks or examinations read could utilize this machine to
read aloud the printed word.
The services continued to grow as the DRS office was now
servicing over 400 students and providing over 20,000 hours of
service each academic year. Since about one-quarter of the
DRS student population are also Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation (DVR) clients, DRS began working more closely
with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), a
statewide organization that provides funding for persons with
disabilities. Previously, the UW-System had entered into
an agreement with DVR in Wisconsin. As part of the
agreement, the university schools would be reimbursed for
accommodations used by DVR clients. Although this
additional funding source is considered “soft money”, due to the
percentage of students served who came until the UW/DVR
agreement, it gave the DRS office a chance to change what had
been a part-time LTE position to an annual full-time contract as
an Accommodations Manager. DRS was also able to hire an
LTE to do clerical work. Even though these positions were
not permanently funded it gave some stability to the DRS office.
The 1997-98 school year brought a new Affirmative Action and
Diversity Assistant to the Chancellor to campus. This
person was also the ADA and 504 Compliance Officer. The
addition of this new senior administrative position signals the
campus’s commitment to individuals with disabilities at UW-La
Crosse. The IDAC committee worked on four different areas
of access. They were computer access, education of
faculty, staff and students about disability issues, public
relations and physical accessibility/ADA issues. The DRS office
received a $66,000 grant to address the future employment needs
of students with disabilities on campus. In the first year
of the grant over 15 students were placed in internships within
their future field; three students received permanent jobs
following the internship. DRS served over 350 students
with disabilities on campus, providing over 18,000 hours of
service.
During the 1998-99 school year, a unique opportunity arose.
This opportunity was recommended by Chancellor Kuipers to the
Affirmative Action Officer. There would be a UW-La Crosse
Strategic Plan developed for Diversity. This commitment
shows a true support of making the campus available and
accessible for all persons.
|
