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Disabled
student services make CSULB accessible
Assistance
• Senior mathematics major David Riseley
uses a text-enlarging system to help with
his schoolwork in the Disabled Students
Group Study Room, LL28, in the library.
Yulian Danusastro / Online Forty-Niner
By
Heather Burr
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
In
today's fast-paced world, convenience is
important. It is convenient to do what is
fast, easy and accessible. But for some,
the accessibility may not come easily.
There
are many different services and curriculums
available to all students of Cal State Long
Beach. For disabled students on campus,
there is an additional program designed
to make the campus more accessible and provide
students with support services.
The
Disabled Student Services (DSS) program
was implemented at CSULB in 1973 following
the Rehabilitation Act. A group of students
founded the program and wanted change on
campus to make it more available to those
with disabilities. Disability is impairment
in one or more life functions.
The
DSS offers four different program services
to help students succeed at CSULB. Some
of the services available through the DSS
are extended time for test taking, tutoring,
reader services and note-taking services.
CSULB
was the first university in the Cal State
University system to employ a service for
the disabled. A pilot program started 32
years ago, it now helps over 1,000 students
each semester and puts in over 60,000 hours
of support each year. The DSS assists any
disabled student.
"The
most common disabilities on our campus are
learning disabilities," Coordinator
of Support Services and Academic Advising
for DSS Peter Perbix said. He went on to
say that Attention Deficit Disorder was
common, but students have a wide range of
disabilities.
Loan
Nguyen, a graduating senior with a finance
degree, believes the DSS program has been
very helpful in achieving her academic goals.
Nguyen,
who developed polio and is in a wheelchair
said, "The accommodations on campus
are very nice. The faculty and staff have
been very helpful."
Speaking
about the ease of getting to and from somewhere
on campus, Perbix said, "The CSULB
campus is one of the most accessible campuses."
But
the DSS center is not the only resources
available to students with disabilities.
The
Long Beach Main Library opened an Information
Center for People with Disabilities (ICPD)
in October 2003. The center contains helpful
tools to assist those with disabilities.
There
are 14 volunteers, some with disabilities
themselves, ready to help. Past volunteers
were associated with CSULB.
The
center wants to expand their collection
of large print books, books on tape, videos
and computers with programs adjustable to
fit each person's needs. The center sees
100 – 200 patrons per month and has
served over 2,130 people.
Programs
offered in the ICPD are the same programs
offered in the DSS. Both programs have staffs
that are willing and capable to help.
Josephine
Caron, who oversees the ICPD, said "We
have found a family here in the peer support."
The
center is located on the lower level of
the main library and has tools accessible
for those with all disabilities. Though
only open for 17 months, Caron said,""Nothing
has been as rewarding in my professional
career as seeing this center come to life."
Over
the years, accessibility for the disabled
has grown at CSULB and throughout the community.
There is help for anyone who needs it.""Don't
be afraid of going to school," CSULB
student Nguyen said. "Be confident
and don't let your disability hold you back.
You can achieve your goals."
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