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December 7, 2007
This is a response to the letter Chancellor Ringeisen sent to the campus community regarding services to UIS students with disabilities.
On behalf of students with disabilities on campus as well as other marginalized groups, we would like to point out the factual misrepresentations in the Chancellor’s letter.
In his letter the Chancellor states, “I promise you that whenever someone raises a concern, privately or publicly, we address it and work toward a resolution.” From past experiences of aforementioned groups, when individuals raise questions about services, unethical treatment, and even discrimination they are met with open hostility. This is not conducive to fixing any problems that Student Affairs and the Office of Disability Services may have. This has also been the response to several other service problems students have had as well.
The Chancellor says in regards to Lincoln Residence Hall, “The facility is ADA compliant. In fact, we have gone far beyond what is required to provide the best possible environment for our students.” We would ask the Chancellor to ponder a few points:
1. What is required? Our experience with students with disabilities on campus is that many of them have had a difficult time functioning through their daily routine. If people are having a hard time just getting in and out of their dorm rooms and to and from class, are the requirements really met?
2. How have you gone far beyond what is required? Are there specific examples where the students are getting far beyond what the ADA requires them to have? One student’s parents were informed door openers were to be installed prior to the student’s arrival on campus, but those openers didn’t arrive until the second semester. This made her unable to independently access the place in which she lived for over four months. How do these examples support the claim that the university has benevolently surpassed their duty to serve the students who hand over their hard-earned tuition? The personal pain and suffering of students has been equated with the trivial growing pains of a university.
The Chancellor also says, “We have a new interim director of Disability Services, Susy Woods, whose credentials and people skills are extraordinary.” First let’s address the “extraordinary” people skills. During the WUIS story on Disability Services she said, “If I can get to town in a Buick the University doesn’t have the responsibility to buy me a Cadillac.” This response to students’ requests for service is irresponsible and cold, not to mention completely contrary to what the Chancellor said in his letter. If the school is going far beyond what they are supposed to be doing, wouldn’t they be ensuring that students got the “Cadillac” of services provided to them? If the university has gone “above and beyond” the requirements, then why did a student have to request grab bars in a labeled-ADA-Accessible shower in the Lincoln Residence Hall? When did reasonable accommodations become a luxury? Students on campus have a fundamental right to have their needs met. This is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Chancellor Ringeisen spoke of Susy Woods’ credentials, in addition to Dr. Judy Shipp’s email on 11-30-07 justifying similarly, and to which we pose our second point: Since when does serving on a board or committee constitute a credential? Our understanding of credentials necessary for employment involves degrees, licenses, or certificates not aforementioned “experiences.” You can not affirm that attending a meeting or board function, represents a credential especially for an institution of higher learning. Furthermore, Dr. Shipp’s email cited eleven different boards in which Mrs. Woods participates, attends IEP’s with families throughout the state, and the email didn’t even mention that Mrs. Woods is an adjunct professor here at UIS. How can the director of disability services, interim or not, perform pertinent functions for the students while adhering to other such demanding positions.
In regards to the previous director of Disability Services the Chancellor says, “We made a change in the management of that office earlier this year precisely so we could improve the ways in which we serve our students with disabilities and the faculty who work with those students.” Students, faculty, and staff have identified positive experiences with the previous Director of Disability Services. In fact, the complete breakdown in services didn’t occur until after this person was removed from her position. How has the service to students been improved since then? It has not- instead there has been a complete meltdown from the inside.
In the letter the Chancellor also talks about the new Recreation and Athletic Center being accessible to everyone on campus. He says, “The staff consulted with students with disabilities and was very intentional with the layout of each piece of equipment. The design allows all users adequate room to maneuver to/from equipment, and the staff is trained to help disabled patrons with the use of this equipment.” First, we would like to know which students with whom the University consulted. In fact, President White gave a written promissory note to three UIS students stating that he “will arrange for a person from the UIUC Disabilities Resources Center to meet with you and campus administrators at UIS. The purpose will be […] to professionally assess your [disabled student’s] needs.” The three students were never contacted for such a meeting, or told that administrators had partaken in such a meeting.
We would also like to know what kind of training the staff has to assist the students with disabilities. What kind of training do they have to pass before they can assist these students? Has the staff been professionally trained by a certified physical therapist or a licensed physician, so that the staff doesn’t prescribe unsafe exercises for students. We have been told of at least a few instances where the staff made inappropriate suggestion to students with disabilities on how to use the equipment. We went to the facility ourselves and asked the staff of the Recreation and Athletic Center identify what they would do to help a student with disabilities on the equipment. No one working could identify the appropriate way to help students with disabilities with the facilities.
As of November 17, 2007, pictures will show that some students in wheelchairs can’t access equipment or specific areas in the new TRAC building. Over the last few weeks, new items were added to the TRAC for able-bodied students; however, the layout and accessibility failed to improve.
These administrative problems are not exclusive to students with disabilities. Many marginalized groups of people on campus have been treated with open hostility. It is important that these groups stand up together against the way they are being treated. If services are required, they should be given to students without a fight. Students should not have to spend their academic career in this type of environment.
Our final question is this: If none of these problems existed as the Chancellor says, then why was a member of The Student Board of Trustees sent by President White to investigate them? Why did they identify many students, faculty, and staff on campus that were experiencing huge problems with the services if that was not the case?
Sincerely,
Women’s Issues Caucus
Queer Straight Alliance
The Campus Greens
Delta Sigma Omicron
