ANNUAL REPORT FY00

Submitted by Co-Chairs: Mary R. Brown, Larry A. Voss

We opened the 1999-2000 CCSPD year by welcoming a new Co-Chair, Larry Voss. Larry has been a member of the CCSPD for several years and brings to the Committee and its Chairpersonship, a wealth of experience in and knowledge of disability issues. He is a Research Associate with and co-founder of the Chicago Center for Disability Research in the Department of Disability & Human Development in the College of Health & Human Development Sciences.

This year was another challenging year for the CCSPD and perhaps, the prospect of a new millennium, gave us reason to look back at our goals and accomplishments since the establishment of this Committee. We particularly wanted to solve and bring to a conclusion some of the ongoing problems faced by the disability community at UIC. For example, snow removal and parking have been on the list of access issues since the inception of the Committee. While our long term goal of a barrier free campus remained our primary focus, this was the year that we wanted to, at least, make UIC accessible during inclement weather and provide adequate and safe parking for disabled students and staff alike. Thus the advocacy tone of the Committee has changed somewhat. We have heard from many people that high school students with disabilities are often advised not to attend UIC because of its poor accessibility and enrolled students with disabilities, notably several with visual impairment, have left the campus for the same reason. This is a tragic state of affairs because UIC has garnered international recognition for its program in Disability Studies and offers the only doctorate in Disability Studies in the U.S.

Our desire to make overdue progress on some of our longstanding goals as well as an influx of some very enthusiastic students, with and without disabilities, have contributed to a change of attitude in the CCSPD. The Committee has taken on a more proactive tone and we are optimistic that we will achieve our goals, particularly now that we are working with a receptive administration.

HISTORY: The CCSPD was formed in 1972 to address accessibility in the context of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Concerns about UIC compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act have become integral to the mission of our Committee over the last ten years.

This year, because our goal was to effect many immediate changes in those areas that affect the day to day quality of access for disabled students and staff, we concentrated less on programming and more on actively addressing problems

• In December, the Co-Chairs Mary Brown and Larry Voss met with Dr. Sylvia Manning, then Interim Chancellor of UIC to familiarize her with the CCSPD and its activities and goals. Larry Voss presented the idea of bringing in outside consultants to make recommendations for optimizing disability services at UIC. Dr. Manning was receptive to the idea and hoped in the future, to attend one or two CCSPD full meetings. After this meeting, Larry Voss put together a very highly respected consulting team and presented a financially attractive and feasible package to administration. Unfortunately, despite this promising beginning and the enthusiasm of CCSPD’s members in developing the scope of goals for the consultants, the initiative stalled when presented to the Vice-Chancellors for input.
• A task force from the CCSPD met with Dr. Henley to discuss access issues and the proposed visit by the consultants (see preceding item). She discussed some of the planned changes in the ODS and her desire to implement these changes before consultants were brought in. One of the significant issues raised in the meeting was the lack of university wide policy on disability issues. For example, faculty and staff, particularly staff, received intensive seminars, instruction and literature in the areas of sexual harassment and the University has written policy and guidelines in this area. This is not true for disability discrimination. Dr. Henley has requested the help of the CCSPD in writing a philosophical statement or policy addressing the University’s attitude toward issues surrounding disability. Our Committee suggested that she might consider sending some of her staff to the AHEAD conference or the Society for Disability Studies Conference to be held here in Chicago.

• In September, thanks primarily to the efforts of Larry Voss, our Co-Chair, we were able to bring to campus an internationally known disabled author, journalist, and raconteur, John Hockenberry. The event (which was co-sponsored by the university-sponsored Disability Arts & Culture Center) was held in the CCC with the reception and movie very well attended by over one hundred students, staff and members of the Chicago Disability Community.
• The Cultural Climate Committee provided the Physical Plant Department with labels for the power assisted doors which give a phone number to call if the door is not working. In the past, students and staff who encountered problems with these doors did not know whom to contact.
• The CCSPD welcomed and established communications with the newly formed Disabled Students Union (DSU).
• A Parking Issues Task Force was formed with the DSU which included Drew Browning, Larry Voss, Sarah Triano, Han-jin Jo, and Theresa Pacione. The Task Force met with Phillip O’Brien, Director of Parking Services. Mr. O’Brien seems to favor reciprocal parking for persons with disabilities, as long as they have paid for parking and has agreed to meet with the Committee. He has also offered to be a liaison member to the Committee. Sarah Triano was appointed to head an ad-hoc Parking Issues Committee under the auspices of the CCSPD.
• The Committee delayed filling the Liaison Memberships until the new administration was settled in and familiarized with these positions, as they are unique to the CCSPD.
• A Snow Removal Procedure was developed whereby disability access issues will be addressed by UIC employees & sub-contractors responsible for the removal of snow through the use of the "Snow Removal Checklist" developed by CCSPD & UIC administration.
• In an effort to expand our resources, the CCSPD is establishing ties with local organizations like Access Living and the Disability Arts and Cultural Center. This year marked the 20^th anniversary of Access Living. CCSPD purchased and designed a page in their programming book as a gesture of support.
• One students from the Committee was sponsored for attendance at the AHEAD conference (Association for Higher Education and Disability) in Kansas City. This student was able to meet Dr. Brad Hedrick from UICC & Dr. Sue Kroeger from University of Arizona (two members of the expected ODS consultants team)
• Several members of the CCSPD and disabled students were sponsored by CCSPD to attend the Society of Disability Studies Conference in Chicago this summer. We also sponsored the performance of three local disabled performers at the conference.
• This year, our annual banquet in keeping with the tone of our committee, invited Diane Coleman, well known disability activist and President of the Progress Center for Independent Living, as keynote speaker. She spoke on the history of disability activism.
• Video Tapes were purchased to be used by committee members, faculty, students & staff in presentations and educational activities improving understanding of disability issues such as: inclusion; access; civil rights; and culture. These tapes will be added to the existing CCSPD library of materials available for loan.
• Provided funding for a Handbook for Disabled Students to be written by the DSU and the Office of Disability Services.
• Reviewed and critiqued an electronic Campus Accessibility Map developed by Brenda Silva in the Office of Access and Equity..
• Lobbied successfully for changes in the new web page as it was not accessible to visually impaired students.
• Continued to maintain our own web page at www.uic.edu/orgs/CCSPD.
• In our last Annual Report, we noted that during this fiscal year we would invite back Dance Detour, a mixed abilities dance troupe, to entertain the UIC community. Unfortunately, Dance Detour was not touring this year, as they are revamping their troupe and dance program.

We are pleased this year to welcome our new members which include several students and an expert in ADA compliance. It is particularly noteworthy that one of our student members is a graduate student from a foreign country who is very interested in how we develop and get policy implemented so what we do at this University and within the CCSPD, could ultimately affect the lives of disabled persons around the world.

It should be noted here that members of the CCSPD make a year round commitment. Our calendar is the fiscal year, not the school year

The Extra Mile Award is a student nominated award for those staff and faculty that disabled students feel have gone beyond normal job requirements in assisting them. The award is given annually at a luncheon, usually held at the end of the term. This year the CCSPD decided that because the end of the term is so crowded with events/finals, etc., it would be more prudent to have the award ceremony at another time. We will probably try for a luncheon during the fall term, perhaps late October, early November.

Our graduate assistant this year was Kelli Servis, a student in the Occupational Therapy Department.

Larry A. Voss will continue as Co-Chair. Mary R. Brown will step down after serving five years as Co-Chair. She will remain a member of the CCSPD. Her elected replacement is Robin Jones, Director and Instructor of the Great Lakes ADA Center.

• Continue to work with UIC administration in an effort to organize and schedule consultants to give input toward the development of improved Disability Services.
• Work with UIC administration to explore and implement necessary changes in the administrative location and scope of Disability Services (consider expanding the scope to include faculty & staff.)
• Address continuing access problems at UIC with special emphasis on parking issues, library access, and web page access.
• Continue to develop and promote activities to educate the public about disability issues and Disability Culture.

The Co-Chairs would like to thank the CCSPD Treasurer, Subcommittee Chairpersons and members for their efforts and support during the past year. We would also like to thank Arun Reddy, Student Trustee, for his enthusiastic support of our goals.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary R. Brown, Co-Chair CCSPD

Larry A. Voss, Co-Chair CCSPD