Challenged Student Club strives for public recognition
Mingje ET Contributor
Issue date: 11/28/02 Section: News
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A complaint filed by a disabled student with the Marin Center for Independent Living alleged that the ramp outside of the Science Center building is too steep for disabled students using manual wheelchairs to get up. There also is no elevator provided in Harlin Center, where the majority of the teachers' offices are located on the second floor and ironically, the main door at the Disabled Student Program building, which is the most frequently visited area for these students, has no automatic door-opener.
Members of CSC face special challenges that other students would not imagine. Because of their physical conditions, they encounter special difficulties in their personal and acedemic lives. The members formed this club to share their thoughts and feelings with one another and to find support and comfort. Most importantly Sykes initiated this club in order to create a platform for disabled students on campus to stand up for their rights.
Since their first club meeting on Oct.1, the club has grown to 32 members. Meetings are held every Friday at 11:30a.m. in the cafeteria located in the Student Service building. Campus accessibility is the most discussed issue at meetings. Because many of the club members use wheelchairs, their ability to access all public buildings and facilities is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act that went into effect on Jan. 26, 1992. That law requires all public facilities be readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. According to Nicole, although the school has made much effort to accommodate their needs, many disabled students encounter difficulties getting around the campus.
According to director of the Disabled Students Program Marie McCarthy, the program has provided various aids to the students who use wheelchairs. She said the DSP would loan an electric wheelchair to a disabled student when he or she needs to reach the top of a ramp that is too steep for the manual wheelchair. She said program employees would make phone calls to the instructors on the second floor of the Harlan Center and ask them to meet with disabled students who cannot get to the teachers' offices.
"It is good to see the school making efforts to comply with the law, but it would be better for the school to make changes to the existing facilities to allow us travel independently on the campus," said Sykes.
Most members of the club are disappointed that ten years after the law has been passed there are still some facilities on campus that are not accessible for the disabled students. COM, DSP, and the Marin Center for Independent Living have been continuously receiving complaints from COM's disabled students. This is why this club was founded in hopes to "make changes on campus," said Sykes.