This past Sunday, I, along with many others, joined together to raise money for Camp Promise-West (CPW). We met at Redmond's Bar and Grill and later, we ventured on to Palmer's. Both of these bars, located in Redmond, Washington, made the deal to donate half of the revenue made by any drink ordered (during the time that we were there), to CPW! After these two bar stops, this group joined more fundraiser participants at La Isla (also in Redmond). I was unable to continue into the dinner portion, as I needed to return back to Bellingham. Participants purchased tickets, and La Isla made dinner for them; then they donated the proceeds to CPW too! This year, the bar crawl and beneficial dinner raised $3,000.00 for CPW.
We are so thankful that these two bars and La Isla, that they were willing to partner with CPW and donate so much to this camp! However, there was one detail that was hard for us to miss. The first bar that we went to, Redmond's Bar and Grill, does have an accessible entrance, but it is in the back. Instead of entering through the main door on the street, those of us in wheelchairs (which is a large percentage of campers at CPW) have to enter through the entrance off the back alley. I understand that this bar is old, and I am glad that they have an accessible entrance, but it is not the most visible and the room that has to be traveled through after entering the back door is quite crowded. It is important to note that the ramp is to the left (it runs parallel to the back wall), so when you exit the back door, and you may have had a drink or two, or five, that you do not forget to turn, as if you didn't turn, you would drive right down the stairs! Do not worry, none of us did that this past Sunday! The second bar, Palmer's, is flat in and quite spacious!
Not only did this fundraiser raise money for this years camp, but it also was a wonderful time to get together and converse with friends from camp and meet those from the community who support CPW. Camp Promise is the only camp for both kids and adults with neuromuscular diseases. This amazing camp is a place where people of all ages and abilities gather and spend a wonderful week together. Camp Promise offers a week filled with friends, as well as indoor and adaptive outdoor activities. I love camp, because here I meet people who have similar challenges as I and we can learn from each others' experiences; however, the campers at this camp all share more than the common denominator of having a disabling neuromuscular disease, we all love life. At Camp promise, we are given the opportunity to do things that we may not normally be able to do; there is adaptive canoeing, adaptive archery, a pontoon boat that we can drive right onto; there's also an indoor, heated swimming pool, arts and crafts, different workshops and dances. Each day is also themed; we dress up in accordance to that day. Camp is overall an amazing week, spent with spectacular people!
Below, I have linked the First Giving website; would you consider donating to this spectacular camp?! Thank you!
CPW2014 Fundraising Pagewww.firstgiving.comThanks for visiting the 2014 Camp Promise-West page! Camp Promise-West is still the only camp option exclusively for kids and adults with neuromuscular disorders. We are open to ages …
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
A Necessary Evil: Why I Hate Handicapped Parking Spots
I hate handicap parking spots. I know that this is a strong statement, but I really do hate handicap parking spots. This is not to say that I am not grateful that there are spots that are supposed to allow enough space for me to park my handicap accessible van, safely lower my ramp, exit, and then later reenter my van. However, these spot are limited and segregate the disabled community from everyone else.
The spots are limited in that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) only requires one out of every twenty-five "regular" spots to be handicap accessible, and as the "regular" spots increase, the number of required handicap spots per "regular" spots decrease; in a parking lot of three hundred parking spots, only seven have to be handicap accessible. The other thing is, after the first van accessible spot, there only has to be one more van accessible spot for every eight smaller handicap spots. (I, along with others who have handicap accessible vans, cannot utilize the smaller spots, as I need about eight feet of space to exit my van). These ratios were declared law in 1990 by the ADA, but have yet to be updated; these ratios may have been acceptable then, but it is twenty four years later, and this law is outdated.
According to a study conducted last year by the Seattle Times, one in ten cars have a handicap accessible placard/plates that allow them to park in one of the "close spots". This is a large percentage of parking placards for the amount of required handicap accessible spots. In a parking lot of three hundred spaces, there only needs to be seven handicap spaces, but if that parking lot happens to be full, and ten percent of those cars have a handicap accessible placard (meaning thirty cars would have one), then twenty three cars who are in need of a handicap spot, would be without a place to park.
Now, there is the factor that the person who needs the placard is not in a couple of these cars, so then those cars do not need to park in the handicap spots (which leaves them open for someone else who needs one); this should be the case (and many times people do not abuse the unlawful use of a placard that is not theirs), but many do use it for their own convenience (and sometimes people park in a handicap spot even without a parking placard). I have also witnessed many people just sitting in their car while occupying a handicap parking spot.
Not too long ago, I was waiting for a handicap spot to open; I watched a lady get into her car (that was parked in a handicap spot), open up a magazine, and start reading it! A couple days ago, a man (who had a red -- a temporary -- handicap placard) was parked in a handicap spot (the furthest handicap spot from the entrance) waiting for a friend. Even though he had a handicap placard, why did he have to sit in a handicap spot (his friend walked quickly to the car and seemed perfectly fine); why did he not sit and wait for his friend near the entrance? Multiple times, I have also had the car in front of me take the last handicap spot (some have placards, some do not; some seem to need the handicap space, and some do not); this is a dual problem as there are not enough handicap spots to satisfy the amount of cars with handicap placards, and at the same time, people who do not need a handicap spot take one just because they can, or as one young man defiantly proclaimed, "[w]hat?! This is a handicap spot?!", when he was questioned as to why he and his girlfriend were parked in an accessible spot without a placard. I am sorry dude, but the spots are clearly labeled with a sign in front of the spot, a large universal handicap sign painted smack in the middle of the spot, and of course they have the extra space on one, or both sides, of the car. I am legally blind, and I am able to see the labeling just fine; I am also legally not able to drive, due to my vision, so my question is, why can he get his licience, and I cannot?
Other things that I have witnessed with regards to people abusing handicap spots is a lady jumping out of her car, running into the store, then running through the store (with a cart), filling her cart to the brim, and then running back to her car after paying for her goods. Something similar to this happens at parks all the time. I love going to Boulevard Park here in Bellingham, and there are handicap spots intermittently distributed along the parking lot, so there are regular spots that are just as close (or closer) to different attractions throughout the park. I have seen people park in a handicap spot and then WALK THE BOARDWALK! If you can walk the entire boardwalk, why does it matter where you park in the parking lot? If you need a close spot, and there is a "regular spot" open right next to the handicap spot, please park in the "regular" spot. Just because you have a parking placard, does not mean you have to park in a handicap spot. Those of us in wheelchairs cannot just park in just any spot, as we need the space (and usually not the closeness).
Handicap spots are just one thing that segregates the disabled (single us out); only those with the special placard can park in the "close spots". In trying to make life easier for the disabled, the ADA actually made life a little harder by allowing businesses to segregate their parking lots. If it is okay for the handicapped to be segregated out in a simple thing like parking, then why not segregate handicap people from other things as well? Segregated parking spots also lead to segregated entrances. If the handicap spots are all clustered together at one end of the business, then it is only "reasonable"for that business to make that entrance the accessible entrance. It probably would not even cross that business' mind to make both entrances accessible. The interesting thing is, "separate, but equal" was supposed to have been outlawed in 1954 by the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Handicap spots are a necessary evil, as people with disabilities either need a close spot or space to get in and out of their vehicle. My dream would be for every spot to have space to lower ramps, so that everyone could park anywhere. However, there is one flaw to this universal design (besides the fact that businesses could not cram as many spaces into their parking lot as they would like); those who need close spots would not be "guaranteed" one, as EVERYONE seems to want the close spots (including the handicap spots) even if they are perfectly able to walk across the parking lot. However, since there are not enough handicap spots (as of now) and people already abuse the use of handicap placards and park in the close spots, people who need close spots are not guaranteed one now. If every spot was accessible, then those of us with disabilities would no longer be segregated by having to use "separate, but equal" parking.
Most places that I have been to have their required quota of accessible spots, and some even get away without having any, but one place that I wanted to recognize is the Community Food Co-Op on Cordata here in Bellingham; they have eight handicap spots and have about thirty spots altogether. This parking lot is not completely filled with handicap spots, but about one third of them are. There is always a handicap spot open, and I hope other businesses can look toward to Co-Op as an example; no business should follow the letter of the law, but the essence of the law and cater to their clients' needs.
The spots are limited in that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) only requires one out of every twenty-five "regular" spots to be handicap accessible, and as the "regular" spots increase, the number of required handicap spots per "regular" spots decrease; in a parking lot of three hundred parking spots, only seven have to be handicap accessible. The other thing is, after the first van accessible spot, there only has to be one more van accessible spot for every eight smaller handicap spots. (I, along with others who have handicap accessible vans, cannot utilize the smaller spots, as I need about eight feet of space to exit my van). These ratios were declared law in 1990 by the ADA, but have yet to be updated; these ratios may have been acceptable then, but it is twenty four years later, and this law is outdated.
According to a study conducted last year by the Seattle Times, one in ten cars have a handicap accessible placard/plates that allow them to park in one of the "close spots". This is a large percentage of parking placards for the amount of required handicap accessible spots. In a parking lot of three hundred spaces, there only needs to be seven handicap spaces, but if that parking lot happens to be full, and ten percent of those cars have a handicap accessible placard (meaning thirty cars would have one), then twenty three cars who are in need of a handicap spot, would be without a place to park.
Now, there is the factor that the person who needs the placard is not in a couple of these cars, so then those cars do not need to park in the handicap spots (which leaves them open for someone else who needs one); this should be the case (and many times people do not abuse the unlawful use of a placard that is not theirs), but many do use it for their own convenience (and sometimes people park in a handicap spot even without a parking placard). I have also witnessed many people just sitting in their car while occupying a handicap parking spot.
Not too long ago, I was waiting for a handicap spot to open; I watched a lady get into her car (that was parked in a handicap spot), open up a magazine, and start reading it! A couple days ago, a man (who had a red -- a temporary -- handicap placard) was parked in a handicap spot (the furthest handicap spot from the entrance) waiting for a friend. Even though he had a handicap placard, why did he have to sit in a handicap spot (his friend walked quickly to the car and seemed perfectly fine); why did he not sit and wait for his friend near the entrance? Multiple times, I have also had the car in front of me take the last handicap spot (some have placards, some do not; some seem to need the handicap space, and some do not); this is a dual problem as there are not enough handicap spots to satisfy the amount of cars with handicap placards, and at the same time, people who do not need a handicap spot take one just because they can, or as one young man defiantly proclaimed, "[w]hat?! This is a handicap spot?!", when he was questioned as to why he and his girlfriend were parked in an accessible spot without a placard. I am sorry dude, but the spots are clearly labeled with a sign in front of the spot, a large universal handicap sign painted smack in the middle of the spot, and of course they have the extra space on one, or both sides, of the car. I am legally blind, and I am able to see the labeling just fine; I am also legally not able to drive, due to my vision, so my question is, why can he get his licience, and I cannot?
Other things that I have witnessed with regards to people abusing handicap spots is a lady jumping out of her car, running into the store, then running through the store (with a cart), filling her cart to the brim, and then running back to her car after paying for her goods. Something similar to this happens at parks all the time. I love going to Boulevard Park here in Bellingham, and there are handicap spots intermittently distributed along the parking lot, so there are regular spots that are just as close (or closer) to different attractions throughout the park. I have seen people park in a handicap spot and then WALK THE BOARDWALK! If you can walk the entire boardwalk, why does it matter where you park in the parking lot? If you need a close spot, and there is a "regular spot" open right next to the handicap spot, please park in the "regular" spot. Just because you have a parking placard, does not mean you have to park in a handicap spot. Those of us in wheelchairs cannot just park in just any spot, as we need the space (and usually not the closeness).
Handicap spots are just one thing that segregates the disabled (single us out); only those with the special placard can park in the "close spots". In trying to make life easier for the disabled, the ADA actually made life a little harder by allowing businesses to segregate their parking lots. If it is okay for the handicapped to be segregated out in a simple thing like parking, then why not segregate handicap people from other things as well? Segregated parking spots also lead to segregated entrances. If the handicap spots are all clustered together at one end of the business, then it is only "reasonable"for that business to make that entrance the accessible entrance. It probably would not even cross that business' mind to make both entrances accessible. The interesting thing is, "separate, but equal" was supposed to have been outlawed in 1954 by the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Handicap spots are a necessary evil, as people with disabilities either need a close spot or space to get in and out of their vehicle. My dream would be for every spot to have space to lower ramps, so that everyone could park anywhere. However, there is one flaw to this universal design (besides the fact that businesses could not cram as many spaces into their parking lot as they would like); those who need close spots would not be "guaranteed" one, as EVERYONE seems to want the close spots (including the handicap spots) even if they are perfectly able to walk across the parking lot. However, since there are not enough handicap spots (as of now) and people already abuse the use of handicap placards and park in the close spots, people who need close spots are not guaranteed one now. If every spot was accessible, then those of us with disabilities would no longer be segregated by having to use "separate, but equal" parking.
Most places that I have been to have their required quota of accessible spots, and some even get away without having any, but one place that I wanted to recognize is the Community Food Co-Op on Cordata here in Bellingham; they have eight handicap spots and have about thirty spots altogether. This parking lot is not completely filled with handicap spots, but about one third of them are. There is always a handicap spot open, and I hope other businesses can look toward to Co-Op as an example; no business should follow the letter of the law, but the essence of the law and cater to their clients' needs.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The Best for Last: Another Spring Quarter
As of now, I only have 29 more credits until I can graduate! So, if everything goes as planned, this past Spring quarter was my last, and I will graduate Winter quarter of 2015! I did not plan on saving my best Spring quarter for my last Spring quarter, it just happened that way. For the previous eight quarters, I have been fighting for my rights as a disabled student at Western. When I finally began to receive the accommodations that I needed, I was finally able to take four classes (instead of three), and I earned the highest GPA than I ever have my entire time at Western. I did not struggle to keep afloat, and more importantly, I was not frustrated by the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), which made my quarter way more pleasant. I loved my computer reading my textbooks to me, instead of struggling to read them myself or having someone else take their time to read them to me. I also highly appreciated having a personal notetaker that I could talk to and tell them exactly what I was looking for in notes; instead of relying on some random person in the class to write down the most important things in an easy to follow manner, or not having anyone volunteer to take/share notes at all. Another positive thing that happened was one of my classes was going to be in an inaccessible classroom, and even before I had to ask, my DRS counselor pointed out that I would not be able to access that room, so she was going to change it, and she did! I also never had to ask a student to move from the one accessible table, as they did reserve it for me both times I took an exam in the DRS. I am not too fond of "having a table just for me", I rather be able to just sit at any table that is unoccupied, but I cannot; so, having them reserve it is the second best option so I do not have to disturb someone, by asking them to move, as they are testing at the only table I can sit at. The only accommodation that did not work out was the camera that would allow me to see the board. This camera would only clearly view the board if I was around ten feet away. This was a problem because I cannot always access the front of the room. The other problem was, this camera could only be connected to a PC, and I have a Mac. This meant that I had to rent a PC from the DRS, but I did not want to carry around two computers! However, since I had really good notetakers, not being able to see the board was not a problem. Thank you to both my amazing notetakers, Kini and Molly. I am glad to have met you both, and I will miss having you in class!
Something that happened multiple times this past quarter was that obstacles were appearing all over; they ranged from temporary cars on pathways to new ropes to designate queue lines that had worked previously without the ropes.
There was a loading truck completely blocking the pathway by the Communications building leading from the handicap spots to the handicap accessible entrance, so I had to either wait for the workers to finish and move on their way or go all the way around to the front of the building and then use the elevator; but the tractor that parked in the same spot couple of days later left enough room, so I could access the handicap spots by driving into the parking lot. Now, in both of these situations, if I could have been able to use the same doors as everyone else does to enter the Communications building from the parking lot, these two obstacles would not have been a problem! Around the same time, a work truck parked at the end of the ramp leading out of Miller Hall; fortunately this did not trap me in Miller, but it did greatly inconvenience me. I had to go back inside, and go to the elevate, and then use the elevator to go down a half floor! I totally rather use the ramp because the elevator takes so long; Miller is a five story building with half floors.
Something that happened multiple times this past quarter was that obstacles were appearing all over; they ranged from temporary cars on pathways to new ropes to designate queue lines that had worked previously without the ropes.
There was a loading truck completely blocking the pathway by the Communications building leading from the handicap spots to the handicap accessible entrance, so I had to either wait for the workers to finish and move on their way or go all the way around to the front of the building and then use the elevator; but the tractor that parked in the same spot couple of days later left enough room, so I could access the handicap spots by driving into the parking lot. Now, in both of these situations, if I could have been able to use the same doors as everyone else does to enter the Communications building from the parking lot, these two obstacles would not have been a problem! Around the same time, a work truck parked at the end of the ramp leading out of Miller Hall; fortunately this did not trap me in Miller, but it did greatly inconvenience me. I had to go back inside, and go to the elevate, and then use the elevator to go down a half floor! I totally rather use the ramp because the elevator takes so long; Miller is a five story building with half floors.
A sidewalk leads to the patio that is in front of the main entrance to the Communications Facility building. To the left of the pathway are bushes, and to the right sits the accessible parking. On the patio, a large white truck is parked, blocking the pathway from the accessible parking to the accessible entrance.
A tractor parked on the patio in front of the Communications Facility building, blocking the pathway from the accessible entrance to the accessible parking; this tractor is blocking the same pathway as the loading truck picture, just taken from the other side.
A white work truck is parked at the end of the brick ramp that leads out of Miller Hall, blocking the path to Red Square that is located just beyond the ramp.
The two sets of queues that appeared this past quarter, made Subway and Starbucks inaccessible to me; and made it extremely difficult to travel through Arntzen. I could not fit in the queue line (and neither could any other person using a wheelchair). When asked, the manager explained that her supervisor said it was necessary to have the queue lines, and since people in wheelchairs could not access the lines, they could just cut to the end and make their order there. As a person in a wheelchair, this is not what I want to hear. First of all, I want to be treated just like everyone else; I do not want special access, I want equal access. There is also the fact that others are not so gracious when it comes to someone cutting in line, definitely when they have been waiting for their food for fifteen minutes; I do not like it so much myself! The other problem is, at Subway, it is set up for a person to go through the line, not just order at the cash register. Besides the inaccessible queue lines, the ropes got in the way when traveling through Arntzen. To get to an empty table by Subway, I had to drive through all the occupied tables (which are all closely spaced together). Before (and now), I was able to access an empty table by Subway by passing in-between the right of the line and the left of the pole, but for some reason, the manager's supervisor thought it would be a grand idea to put a queue line there. However, now that the line is back to the way it was, I, and every other person in a wheelchair can order Subway just like anyone else and we do not have to struggle to get to an empty table if it is by Subway!
The queue line right in front of the Subway located in Arntzen. The queue creates a single switchback line which people have filled. To the right of the queue there is a pole, and to the right of that are tables and chairs.
The queue line now (and how it was prior to Spring quarter). The queue runs parallel to the Subway counter leaving a pathway in between the queue and the pole to the right of the photo. A line of people waiting to order has formed.
The queue line at Arntzen Starbucks during Spring quarter stretched out, curved around and stopped in the middle of the walkway (pictured below); this means that there was a black leg with the round stand right smack in the middle of the way; every time I wanted to pass through, I had to ask someone to move the black leg, and every time I had someone move it, I had them place it right next to the one that you can see in the second picture below. This queue line not only made it extremely hard for me to pass through that area, but it also made it difficult for me to stand in line at Starbucks,
The Starbucks queue in Arntzen during Spring quarter. There is a black pole sitting in the middle of the walkway. About sixteen to eighteen inches to the right of the pole is a wall, to the left is a line of people filling the queue. Beyond the pole is a doorway leading out of the area where the Starbucks is located.
The queue line now (and before Spring quarter)at Starbucks in Arntzen.
This picture is taken from the doorway in the previous photo. The pole that designates the location of the line has been slid over away from the wall and out of the pathway that leads to/from the doorway.
After being passed around from the manager to her supervisor and trying to get the queue lines moved back to the way the had been since Arntzen had been remodeled, I decided it was time to contact the Vice-President of the college. After a phone call and pictures had been sent to the Vice-President, the queue lines were reverted back to the way they were prior to Spring Quarter!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Overcoming Architecture and Mindsets Stuck in the Past: Another Winter Quarter
Before I begin with my academic aspects of this past winter quarter, I wanted to give an update on the walkway near Arntzen Hall. When I returned from Winter Break, the large light pole base had been removed; however, there was now a hole encompassed with cones and caution tape. This hole took about two weeks to be filled and then ready to travel over. I am now able to drive up and down this pathway hassle-free!
I was so relieved when this past winter quarter finally came to an end; I was so thankful to be on spring break and to finally write down all my thoughts that were swimming through my head. This past winter quarter was the most challenging, but the most rewarding quarter that I have experienced. Academically I have never had a quarter so rapid and crammed pack with papers; however, it was not just school work that stretched me, but milestones that stretched my abilities as an advocate for WWU students with disabilities as well.
For the previous seven quarters (before winter quarter), I had encountered so many problems with the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), that I believed should be changed and updated. At the end of fall quarter, I felt like I was not getting anywhere, and I this made me super frustrated. I could not get through to the DRS, and meeting with the lady from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the head of the DRS did not do me any good. I finally came to the point that I decided that I would be just as well off to not even utilize the DRS anymore, as I felt as if I was pulling teeth in order to get my requested accommodations to equalize my learning experience.
My mom decided that it was necessary for her to step in, and she wrote a detailed letter to the president of the college; I was not impressed with what came to follow. My mom sent her letter at the end of fall quarter; fall quarter finished up and then break came and went. She finally got a response about a month later, but it was not from the president. He passed the letter onto the vice president. She wrote a nice, but very politically correct letter back to my mom informing her that they were addressing many of the points that my mom had addressed in her letter. The vice president also indicated that she wanted to meet with me.
A couple of weeks later, I met with the vice president and the lady from the OCR. We discussed all the issues that I had faced during my time at Western and how I strongly believe there to be a lacking of communication between entities on campus; the DRS should not communicate with professors through students; professors should know the expectations of the DRS, so that accommodations can be met in a timely manner; students should not have to be passed around in order for a broken access button or elevator to be reported; and, the DRS needs to be up to date on ALL equipment and safety plans available to persons with disabilities, as they are the disability RESOURCES for students.
After meeting with the vice president and the lady from the OCR, I was given the opportunity to meet with my DRS counselor; the lady from the OCR offered to sit in with me and take notes. This was a positive step in the right direction, as I could freely express my needs and the DRS also became aware that superior entities of the college had been introduced to their poor behavior and lack of accommodations. During the meeting, I gained a personal notetaker, the reassurance that the accessible table in the testing room would always be available to me, that they would change any unaccessible classroom, they would provide me with textbooks that would work with a text to speech program that would read my textbooks to me, that I could always come in and brainstorm ideas if a new needed accommodation ever was to arise in the future, and that they would purchase a devise to help me be able to read the board on my own.
All these accommodations do sound awesome, and they are for me, but what I am doing is not with the intention of being just for me. My hope is that the DRS is now treating EVERY student with the same respect that they now are giving me (ever since I reported their poor behavior). After my meeting with the vice president, I started to receive e-mails from my DRS counselor. "Just checking in to see how you are…", and "Let me know if you need anything…" She had only done this once before; the last time she "checked in" was right after I had met with the lady from the OCR and the head of the DRS (spring quarter of 2013). To me, it seems like a huge coincidence if these e-mails were not prompted by my meeting with the vice president. I am thankful that I been given the accommodations that I have requested, but I do not want them just for myself. I hope that all students with disabilities can receive their accommodations without having to pull teeth or having to complain to the "big whigs" on campus. One day, my dream would be to see universal design on every campus, so that all people, including those of us with disabilities, feel welcome to learn, study and grow, just like anyone else.
I was so relieved when this past winter quarter finally came to an end; I was so thankful to be on spring break and to finally write down all my thoughts that were swimming through my head. This past winter quarter was the most challenging, but the most rewarding quarter that I have experienced. Academically I have never had a quarter so rapid and crammed pack with papers; however, it was not just school work that stretched me, but milestones that stretched my abilities as an advocate for WWU students with disabilities as well.
For the previous seven quarters (before winter quarter), I had encountered so many problems with the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), that I believed should be changed and updated. At the end of fall quarter, I felt like I was not getting anywhere, and I this made me super frustrated. I could not get through to the DRS, and meeting with the lady from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the head of the DRS did not do me any good. I finally came to the point that I decided that I would be just as well off to not even utilize the DRS anymore, as I felt as if I was pulling teeth in order to get my requested accommodations to equalize my learning experience.
My mom decided that it was necessary for her to step in, and she wrote a detailed letter to the president of the college; I was not impressed with what came to follow. My mom sent her letter at the end of fall quarter; fall quarter finished up and then break came and went. She finally got a response about a month later, but it was not from the president. He passed the letter onto the vice president. She wrote a nice, but very politically correct letter back to my mom informing her that they were addressing many of the points that my mom had addressed in her letter. The vice president also indicated that she wanted to meet with me.
A couple of weeks later, I met with the vice president and the lady from the OCR. We discussed all the issues that I had faced during my time at Western and how I strongly believe there to be a lacking of communication between entities on campus; the DRS should not communicate with professors through students; professors should know the expectations of the DRS, so that accommodations can be met in a timely manner; students should not have to be passed around in order for a broken access button or elevator to be reported; and, the DRS needs to be up to date on ALL equipment and safety plans available to persons with disabilities, as they are the disability RESOURCES for students.
After meeting with the vice president and the lady from the OCR, I was given the opportunity to meet with my DRS counselor; the lady from the OCR offered to sit in with me and take notes. This was a positive step in the right direction, as I could freely express my needs and the DRS also became aware that superior entities of the college had been introduced to their poor behavior and lack of accommodations. During the meeting, I gained a personal notetaker, the reassurance that the accessible table in the testing room would always be available to me, that they would change any unaccessible classroom, they would provide me with textbooks that would work with a text to speech program that would read my textbooks to me, that I could always come in and brainstorm ideas if a new needed accommodation ever was to arise in the future, and that they would purchase a devise to help me be able to read the board on my own.
All these accommodations do sound awesome, and they are for me, but what I am doing is not with the intention of being just for me. My hope is that the DRS is now treating EVERY student with the same respect that they now are giving me (ever since I reported their poor behavior). After my meeting with the vice president, I started to receive e-mails from my DRS counselor. "Just checking in to see how you are…", and "Let me know if you need anything…" She had only done this once before; the last time she "checked in" was right after I had met with the lady from the OCR and the head of the DRS (spring quarter of 2013). To me, it seems like a huge coincidence if these e-mails were not prompted by my meeting with the vice president. I am thankful that I been given the accommodations that I have requested, but I do not want them just for myself. I hope that all students with disabilities can receive their accommodations without having to pull teeth or having to complain to the "big whigs" on campus. One day, my dream would be to see universal design on every campus, so that all people, including those of us with disabilities, feel welcome to learn, study and grow, just like anyone else.
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