2008 Woodie Awards
MT disabled students offered help
Alex Mooran
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
Eagar to help the members of Disabled Student Services, Jenny Crouch, the marketing and accessibility coordinator for campus recreation, is trying to "give them a voice."
Crouch said that by setting up meetings throughout the semester for DSS members, it will help campus better understand what they can do to "enhance their quality of life." While some feel that these meetings could be a good venue for helping students, others such as senior English major Nicholas Sharp, feel they were more of an annoyance.
Sharp said that he and other disabled students shouldn't be separated from other students. He said that he would rather be with everyone instead of being separated into groups with people who he doesn't know.
"I'm not a member of the quote 'blind' community, I'm part of the community as a whole" Sharp said.
When asked how DSS has helped him in the past, Sharp said, "They've given me my tests. I need extra time for tests sometimes, but I try and use [DSS] as little as possible." He said he had no interest in attending the meetings.
Crouch said that campus recreation is not sure what the members of DSS would like to do as activities so she is setting up these meetings to find out.
"I'd like to have a way to get off campus, it seems like most activities are targeted for week days, and the weekends are when I want something to do" said senior political science major Nichol Anderson.
Crouch said that getting students off campus is an option, but that they need to know if DSS members would participate in these off campus activities before they plan them.
Another one of the purposes for the meetings, Crouch said, is to find out what could be done to make things easier and more accessible on campus.
Some students are having difficulties with disabled equipment breaking down on campus. "The handicapped button didn't work and so I told DSS but it was still not fixed over a week after the call," said Anderson. She also said that there was poor lighting around campus and the stairs were slick where the strips had worn off on the edges.
Crouch said that by setting up meetings throughout the semester for DSS members, it will help campus better understand what they can do to "enhance their quality of life." While some feel that these meetings could be a good venue for helping students, others such as senior English major Nicholas Sharp, feel they were more of an annoyance.
Sharp said that he and other disabled students shouldn't be separated from other students. He said that he would rather be with everyone instead of being separated into groups with people who he doesn't know.
"I'm not a member of the quote 'blind' community, I'm part of the community as a whole" Sharp said.
When asked how DSS has helped him in the past, Sharp said, "They've given me my tests. I need extra time for tests sometimes, but I try and use [DSS] as little as possible." He said he had no interest in attending the meetings.
Crouch said that campus recreation is not sure what the members of DSS would like to do as activities so she is setting up these meetings to find out.
"I'd like to have a way to get off campus, it seems like most activities are targeted for week days, and the weekends are when I want something to do" said senior political science major Nichol Anderson.
Crouch said that getting students off campus is an option, but that they need to know if DSS members would participate in these off campus activities before they plan them.
Another one of the purposes for the meetings, Crouch said, is to find out what could be done to make things easier and more accessible on campus.
Some students are having difficulties with disabled equipment breaking down on campus. "The handicapped button didn't work and so I told DSS but it was still not fixed over a week after the call," said Anderson. She also said that there was poor lighting around campus and the stairs were slick where the strips had worn off on the edges.
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A disabled student at MTSU
posted 2/15/08 @ 11:13 AM CST
All of this is going to seem harsh, so I apologize now, but I am going to use this at my opportunity to vent about issues with DSS. The big problem I've had with DSS is when they call you (not necessarily e-mail), they don't let you know WHY they are calling. (Continued…)
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