Minutes
UCLA COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

1. Introduction & Quorum
2. Minutes
3. Agenda
4. Subcommittee Reports
5. Campus Reports
6. Annual Reports
7. Announcements
8. Adjournment

I. Introduction & Quorum

Mark Ackerman, Tina Arora,  Donna Bryan, Chad Brown, Mike Clark, Bert Cueva, Monroe Gorden, Stephanie Fisher, Eileen Fowler, Thomas Griffin, Jamie Hoffman, Adrienne Malka, Wendy Motch, Kathy Molini,  Muller, Andrew Tai, Laura Sobchik, Alex Stavchanski, Bob Werle.

Excused: Patrick Burke, Sam Schaffel, Malinda Lee, Victor Pineda

II.Minutes

The Minutes of the October 14, 2008 meeting were reviewed and approved.

III. Agenda

Monroe Gorden attended the UCOD meeting where he discussed the ADA and 504 Compliance Office and he assured everyone that the ADA/504 Office is active. The ADA website is currently under construction to make it aesthetically pleasing and user friendly and he has worked with Patrick Burke to ensure it has the highest level of accessibility. The website will have an active calendar and will publicize events.

Eileen Fowler inquired about the policies related to disability parking on campus and asked if a UCLA employee has a disabled placard if that person pays for parking at UCLA.

Wendy Motch indicated that individuals were required to pay for parking even with a disabled placard. Monroe Gorden clarified that for students, faculty, and staff, a valid UCLA permit must be purchased and displayed along with a disability placard. Individuals parking in the medical center received complimentary parking with a valid disability placard as well as at metered spaces on campus.

Adrienne Malka added that there is a shuttle available for students questioned and if one could be available for employees who are mobility challenged.

It was suggested to contact Steve Rand to help clarify all of the policies related to accessible parking on campus.

Bert Cueva mentioned that at the last UCOD meeting, members received a copy of the ADA law that went into effect by President Bush, and wanted this information to go out on the website.

A. Subcommittee Reports

1. Communication Committee

Jim McGlynn thanked everybody who helped make the Disability Awareness Week a success. Jim and Patrick Burke talked about the pros and cons of putting e mail addresses for the committee and subcommittee members on the web.

Jim met with Stephanie Fisher, and he encouraged everybody to get in the revision or 2007 or 2008 Annual Report, he said that there would be continuity issues without too much editing.

A new roster of the committee members with email addresses, positions and voting status would be out at the January meeting.

2. Membership Committee

Michael Clark reported positions filled for the 18 voting members on this committee as follows: three undergraduate, two positions filled with Sam Schaffel and Kirk Williams. Graduate students 3 open positions and all three filled with Bert Cueva, Laura Sobchick and Lisa Muller. The two Faculty member positions filled with Eileen Fowler and Helen Deutsche. Four staff voting members filled with Joy Chantarasompoth, Alex Stavchanskiy, Jim McGlynn and Mark Ackerman. Two alumni positions, one has been filled with new member, Robert Werle. Community members are Tina Arora and Donna Bryan with two open positions.

3. Programs & Activity Subcommittee

Disability awareness month activities — Jamie Hoffman reported that they had an introduction to sign language class, a screening of the film “Murderball”, a wheelchair basketball clinic, and cycling and kayaking programs during the week.. There were also two faculty sponsored events – one through the English Department on post-graduate work related to disability and literature and a second presentation with the Tarjan Center along with the UCLA Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Center. The events were well attended, and the university was excited about the week and embraced it. Next year it will be bigger and better.

IV. Other Business

Accommodation in the Classroom Panel Presentation

Susan Drange Lee from the Office for Faculty Diversity, mentioned that the flier went out to 4,000 people and of those 10 RSVP’D. She mentioned that her office is responsible for faculty diversity programs. The question rose to have the event campus wide and Susan stated that would not come out of Office for Faculty Diversity but that they could be part of an effort to sponsor a campus wide event.

By-Laws Committee

Donna Bryan will be meeting with Thomas Griffin Mike Coleman, Adrienne Malka, Wendy Motch and Bert Cueva to work on revising the UCOD By-Laws and an update will be at the January’s meeting.

The Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center

Stephanie Fisher is the Executive Director of program, she talked about the programs offered through the center. There is a very strong research arm of MS work going on at UCLA, including some internationally renowned researchers in diagnosis work and including the etiology. She explained that MS is a chronic neurologic disease of the central nervous system that predominantly affects women but men can get it also and that it tends to affect people from northern European descent. In addition to research, UCLA has a strong clinical care component and sworks with thousands of MS patients throughout the year for diagnosis and treatment.

Health and wellness is where they come in and are a formal collaboration between the department of neurology and the MS society. The idea is to try to create a model of care that is not a medical model but something that can complement medical management, so people are not treating just one perspective but other ancillary places. The department, as part of the collaboration, provides support, they offer many programs and their primary program is the reach to achieve program, in addition to other programs, the program run 4days a week.

The emotional wellness program uses a variety of techniques to access different parts of the brain in order to process some of the challenges of living with MS, the unpredictability of the disease. They also offer brief one on one or couple's counseling because sometimes a crisis occurs which predicates getting help from someone they trust. The MS society offers an amazing array of resources, including free therapy sessions up to 8 weeks that can be extended, including stress management.

The Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center offers strategies designed to enhance physical, Emotional and spiritual wellness for persons with MS. There are specific programs for those who are newly diagnosed, as well as those who have been facing the challenges of MS for some time. These include a day program, an educational series, and the opportunity for a multi-disciplinary comprehensive evaluation.

Location	Contact
Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center at UCLA 1000 Veteran Ave, Suite 1162 Los Angeles, CA 90095	Call for Dates and Times (310)267-4071

IV. Campus Reports

A. ADA & 504 Compliance Office - No Report

B. Counseling Psychological Services - No Report

C. Disabled Students Union - No Report

D. Undergraduate Students Association - No Report

E. Graduate Student Association

F. Disabilities and Computing Program

Patrick Burke attended the Accessing Higher Ground - Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference in Boulder, Colorado. This is a unique gathering of professionals from universities around the country doing work similar to DCP. Highlights included a presentation from the Cal State Chancellor’s Office on their systemwide accessibility program, and a meeting of ATHEN (Access Technologists Higher Education Network, www.athenpro.org )

Andrew Tai reported that UCLA would conduct a pilot project to test the Elluminate web conferencing software, beginning December 1, 2008, and running throughout Winter Quarter, 2009. This software allows groups to hold meetings over the web, with audio, data exchange and visual on-screen interaction. Such conferencing software poses major accessibility challenges. However, Elluminate has made many improvements in their latest version, and DCP will make additional recommendations throughout the pilot process.

DCP has been working with James McGlynn to improve the UCOD website and AccessWeb. This will be an ongoing process coordinated with the Communications Subcommittee.

G. Office for Students with Disabilities

Kathy Molini reported that they have a new program called community of learners, where they assign freshmen football players with mentors. They will be doing different activities throughout the year to help freshmen who are athletes become more connected with the university and with learning. OSD directors got together at UC Irvine regarding a presentation about returning vets, the presenters were Tom Church and his co-presenter Paul Grossman, who is a well known disability rights attorney.

H. Tarjan Center – No Report

I. UCLA Recreation

Jaime Hoffman mentioned that she went to the Malibu Creek State Park with 14 Pathway students, she took them out in the wildernesses and they talked about the wilderness and the environment.

The Pathway Program is a post high school college experience for individuals with cognitive disabilities who are able to live as a cohort group in Westwood, go to classes and have internships and jobs.

J. Employee Disability Management Services

Adrienne Malka reported that they have been involved with attending a number of seminars and symposiums put on by both the EEOC and the Department for Fair Employment and Housing.  She stated that the amendments act affects employment, particularly in California, and how it was maintained in 2001 is so far broader and farther reaching than the ADA.  It will not affect practices with employees because in California it is much broader and more inclusive than even the new definitions under the amendments act.

Tina Arora is now at Cal State Long Beach, she reported that for the Disability Awareness Week, over 5,000 K through 12 students was on campus and her focus was disabilities awareness. The social event for the month of November was based on a very famous book, which talks about the issue of disability and not to look at somebody with pity.

VI.    Other Business:

Lisa Mueller discussed services for people with temporary disabilities and questioned which services are available to a student, including what is being done to provide information of those services.

Kathy Molini mentioned that they have a yearly evaluation that goes out to students who use their services and that many students coming into the university, freshmen and transfers, are aware of OSD. They also go to the orientations and campus tours including presenting to the undergraduate admissions. She added as far as getting the word out, if anybody has an idea of something the OSD office may not have done, to contact her office. OSD Main Office (310) 825-1501

Martine Hall mentioned that the Office of Residential Life is a 24 7 response and if someone is in a crisis, they do not lose sight of the individual. Central Office #: (310) 825-3401

There are immediate available appointments 24 7 through Counseling Psychological and Services

You can contact CAPS counselors in a variety of ways throughout the day and night.

By telephone, contact CAPS at (310) 825-0768 Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Speak to a CAPS professional available for in-person walk-in assessment and crisis consultation weekdays from 9:00am to 4:30pm.

Speak to a professional CAPS crisis clinician by phone at (310) 825-0768 anytime 24-hours daily, 365 days per year.

Tabled for January Meeting

Bert Cueva requested that the faculty training discussion, be tabled for January.

VI.    Announcement

Adjournment - Meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Next Meeting: Tuesday January 13, 2009 at the Faculty Center - Hacienda Room