Hi,
In my experience, over 20 years, at City University of New York this type
of event does more harm than good-it's like putting burnt cork on a white
person for a day, week, etc, and expect them to understand the black
experience.
In Unity,
Phyllis
On Sat, 9 Oct 1999, Ozcan KONUR wrote:
> Dear All, (if you are a member of disability-research and dis-forum, you
> will receive this message twice as I do!)
> ___________________________________________________________________
> Michael wrote:
>
> "I have recently been convinced by a fellow student to take part in a
> disability awareness campaign in my University. I am asking for advice in
> the sense that what ave fellow list members done in the past to try and
> raise awareness at there universities, awareness which can hopefully reach
> an auidience other than just the disabled.
>
> The presence of any disability element in my university is virtually nill. I
> stres the virtual - they have a good disability unit for dealing with the
> pracrtical side - aides for the disability but little awareness. However
> there is a Disability Committee (I shudder at the word committee) which has
> two disabled people omn and which does nothing and the access is in all
> fairness poor."
> _______________________________________________________________
>
> Michael's message raises issues on how to change attitudes of people with no
> disabilites to people with disabilities and the service provision for them
> within the higher education context. Since this list is disability research
> list, it is necessary just to note that there has been substantial amount of
> research in these areas during last a few decades, inlcluding Makas' work as
> noted briefly by a member on the list in response to another enquiry.
>
> Having said this, I shall focus on the second part of the message where the
> policy issues are raised. For example it is said that there has been a
> special committee where two representatives of people with disabilities sit
> and its impact has been weak.
>
> Since 1993, Higher Education Funding Councils in the UK have supported a
> number of projects for the provision of services for students with
> disabilities. Some of these projects may have have addressed the disability
> awareness and related issues such as policy development, staff development
> etc. Please see, http://www.equipservices.hefce.ac.uk for a list of
> current projects who have been supported by only HEFCE, rather than all
> funding councils.
>
> Since it has been stressed that the outcome of these projects should be
> disseminated across teh UK to all instutions in higher education, Michael's
> message frankly points out some inefficiencies in this area.
>
> On the student side, there may also have been inefficiencies. A number of
> messages sent to the discussion lists for the students' union officers' such
> as stadia, and raws, may be interpreted that these unions may not have been
> adequately informed about the legislation in the disability area as well as
> good practice in teh service provision in higher education institutions in
> the belief that they are not covered by the law, and therefore they may have
> missed an opportunity to manage the change for their students with
> disbabilities in the service provision since December 1996 when the
> Disability Discrimination Act (1996) became effective. Since that time
> these unions may have had duties as any other service providers to their
> students with disabilities. Furthermore, since 1 October 1999, these unions
> may need to make adjustments for them in their policies, provision of
> services etc. It is believed that some unions still may believe genuinely
> that they are not covered by the law and therefore, they may not need to
> provide services for tehse students including the disability awareness
> services.
>
>
> Therefore, it is not surprising that there may have been inefficiencies in
> the promotion of the services for students with disabilities in higher
> education and the little awareness of the disability issues, complementing
> Michael's frank obervation made above.
>
> Hope it helps.
> ______________________
> Ozcan KONUR
> The list owner, the interdisciplinary disability and higher education policy
> list, http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/dis-he-policy (please join and
> advocate it)
> The university address: City University Rehabilitation Resource Centre,
> Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB, The United Kingdom
> The e-mail address:[log in to unmask]
> The web address: http://www.city.ac.uk/~cx639/index.htm (please visit,
> bookmark,link and advocate)
> The postal communication address: 17 Elham House Pembury Estate Hackney
> London E5 8LT, The United Kingdom
> _____________________
>
> ______________________________________________________
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