Spring 1999 Disability Services Newsletter

Thoughts from the Interim Director
Terri Bodhaine

In September, Henry Claypool, the Director of Disability Services, took a leave of absence to work in Washington, D.C. with the Department of Health and Human Services. In his absence, I have been appointed interim director. Henry left very big shoes to fill given his knowledge and understanding of the disability community both on and off campus. My goal as interim director is to continue the fine work that Henry and the DS staff have been engaged in as well as to pursue other areas of program enhancement. My first big challenge toward that end was to compile the 1999-2000 budget. Working as a team, DS identified budget initiatives which would move us into the new millennium with assistive technology, transition programs for high school students, and enhanced support services to students. In this process, we also broadened our operating plan to build stronger partnerships within the University community. Currently, DS is reviewing CU's Diversity and Equity Plan with the intent of enhancing the diversity efforts on campus related to disabilities. The last semester has been exciting, challenging, yet very rewarding. I am more convinced than ever about the professionalism and commitment that each staff member has to the unit's mission, particularly providing high quality support services to students. As I look towards the new year and another semester, there are many more projects and "to do's" on our plate. DS would like to write a faculty handbook which would be a resource regarding the rights and responsibilities of the faculty and the student. In addition, we are putting together a syllabus for a disabilities studies course to be considered by one of the residential academic programs. Our web site continues to expand with a variety of resources. We also want to develop a data management system that would allow us to better understand the dynamics and needs of the students we serve. Being interim director has been the highlight of my professional career, and I very much appreciate the support of the staff during my tenure.

Lecture On Disability Studies Given By Visiting Professor
Disability Services invited distinguished professor, Rosemarie Garland Thomson of Howard University to speak to students, faculty, and staff on the importance of disability studies. On Oct. 13, 1998 she gave a lecture entitled Extraordinary Bodies: Disability in Culture, Literature and Academe. Thomson, a literary scholar and associate professor of English, is considered a pioneer in the theoretical contribution to the new academic field of disability studies. She is one of a growing number of scholars taking a humanities-oriented and interdisciplinary approach to the study of physical disabilities.

While at CU she visited with faculty and staff interested in diversity and disability. Her approach, which borrows from theories across the disciplines, including social constructionism, feminism, ethnic studies, and gay and lesbian studies, challenges established attitudes based on medical perspectives, toward the disabled. Thomson has written two highly acclaimed books about disabilities in relation to status and privilege, Extraor-dinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature, and Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body.

Disability Services sponsored Ms. Thomson's visit to campus in partnership with the office of The Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, The Center for the Humanities and the Arts, The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and the Department of Women's Studies.

Welcome to CU
There have been several new additions to the Disability Service Staff in the past few months. Julie Gorsuch is a Disability Specialist who comes to CU from the Colorado Center for the Blind. There she served as a Transition/Employment Specialist for three years. In that capacity, Julie taught a job readiness course, worked with students to secure volunteer, internship, and employment positions, job coached, and taught sensitivity workshops. With a bachelor's degree in special education of the visually impaired, Julie is currently working on getting her master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

Tom Younkerman first came to CU about a year ago on a volunteer basis, doing computer work in the Assistive Technology Lab. He graduated from Front Range Community College in 1981 with a degree in Computer Programming. He worked for Megalo Software in Denver for six years, creating software for dentists. He also worked at the Colorado Easter Seal Society, where he met Howard Kramer. Howard had started an electronic bulletin board dealing with disability issues which Tom maintained and gradually took over. After a brief stint in California, he came back to Colorado and began volunteering at CU. He has been involved in several projects, including maintaining a database for the AT Lab's inventory, developing web pages, and writing articles for the Disability Services newsletter. He now has a paid position in the AT Lab and states that he is happy to be part of the DS staff!

Kathy Timme is our new interpreter coordinator. She came from Vocational Rehabilitation where she helped clients transition to the work world. Kathy brings years of experience in interpreting and working with individuals with a variety of disabilities. Her primary clientele at Vocational Rehabilitation were individuals with visual impairments. As Kathy makes the transition to CU, she will be examining our policies and procedures with regard to direct services to the university community.

We would also like to welcome our new work studies for this semester, Kate Lavin and Suzanne Gardine, and Mimi Lam who assists in the AT Lab.

AT Conference
By Tom Younkerman

The first annual Assistive Technology Conference was held November19th and 20th at the University Club on the CU campus. The two day event, sponsored by the Parents Association of CU-Boulder, and presented by Disability Services, drew more than 90 people. Titled Accessing Higher Ground: Assistive Technology in Higher Education, the conference dealt with the particular issues surrounding assistive technology in the college and university setting. The first day was a "Web Access Workshop" that focused on tools and methods used to access the web by persons with disabilities. Speakers included Zuhair Mah'd, a computer access specialist, Dr. Norman Coombs, Ph.D, Chair of Equal Access to Software and Information, (EASI), Rochester Institute of Technology, and Jim Rebman, a researcher and CU student. The speakers talked about how to design an accessible web site and the features that cause certain web sites to be inaccessible. They pointed out that web pages that employ the use of frames, or use graphics can be especially hard to read using screen readers. The final presentation of the day was by Martin Furness, a CU graduate and currently an AT lab assistant. Martin, who is visually impaired, demonstrated how he uses the built-in accessibility features of Windows 95 to modify the interface for his needs.

On Friday the Keynote speaker was Dr. Norman Coombs. Following the keynote address, breakout sessions were held on various topics. Leah Vickery, who heads the Assistive Technology department at Ball State University, spoke about the AT program there and how they try to make the learning process easier for students with disabilities. Vickery, who lost her sight in 1986, said in an interview with the Boulder Daily Camera "...that it took her a full year to leave her house and another two years to get her degree." Vickery uses assistive technology in her daily life in the form of a cane with lasers, a talking compass, and a tactile campus map. With her "can-do" attitude, Vickery faces the challenges of everyday life. Pat Going, an expert on the ADA, talked about the ADA statutes and how it affects colleges and universities. The conference ended with a panel discussion featuring individuals who use assistive technology in the higher education setting. Read the Daily Camera article on the AT Conference for more information.

Student Finds AT Lab Useful
Paulette Foss, a graduate student in cultural anthropology, frequently uses the AT Lab to read her texts and write her papers. Paulette has low vision and finds the scanner combined with "Open Book" and "Jaws" software particularly useful. After losing her sight a year and a half ago, she found that she needed to find some new resources for learning. She discovered that the AT Lab was particulary useful since she had few of her own resources on which she could depend.

Paulette uses "Open Book" to listen to text that has been scanned. This program allows the listener to choose the voice characteristics and speed of output. In addition, it has the capacity to enlarge selected information. She uses "Jaws" in conjunction with Microsoft Word to listen to text as she types it in. In order to complete forms and read hand-written materials, she uses a closed circuit television and a handheld magnifying lens. A Brailler is also available, but Paulette has not used this device.

She reports that, when she first began using the lab, the assistants were very helpful. She also feels that lab equipment is generally available, and that lab hours are convenient. The AT Lab hours are:

• Mon., Wed -- 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Tues., Thurs. -- 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Friday -- 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday -- upon request

Advising Update
The Office of the Registrar has conducted a pilot project in which students registered for their spring 1999 courses on the web rather than using the CU Connect phone registration system. The goal is to have web registration available for all students in March when students begin registering for summer courses. The feedback from the pilot was generally very positive. Students seemed to think that it is was easier and less stressful than the phone system since they were able to see the information and refer back to it when necessary. It also includes a feature called "course search" in which students can look up available courses.

The Personal Look-Up Services (PLUS) component of the web has also been improved in several ways. For example, students can find out what textbooks are required by linking from their schedules. Also, this spring students will be able to complete a degree audit to determine how courses they have taken would apply to a different degree program. Click here to discover additional changes.

Career Program Begins Fifth Year
The award winning Career Program for Students with Disabilities will begin its fifth year this February. Students participating in the program attend a series of four workshops that prepare them for the work experience. At the final workshop, a panel of employers who have hired individuals with disabilities share their experiences including providing accommodations to employees with disabilities. Students locate positions with the assistance of the Career Program and are paid a stipend for their work experience. Workshops begin in February and students must attend one of the two offered each week. The workshops began February 15, 1999. If interested in attending future workshops, contact DS at (303) 492-8671.

Art Contest Winner
Richard Evans, a participant in the AAR Program and a May 1998 graduate in Studio Arts, won the art contest sponsored each semester by the Office of the Registrar. The winner's artwork appears on the cover of the Registration Handbook and Schedule of Courses. Watch for Rich's work which will appear on the Fall 1999 handbook to be printed this spring.