LPC offers a myriad of options for disabled
By Charlene Serra
Making appropriate educational decisions can simplify student
struggles at LPC. The Disabled Students Programs and Services
(DSPS) program is designed to give extra help to students who
require it.
Cecilia Kennerly is the interim DSPS coordinator, replacing Robin
Adler-Goldsmith who is out on medical leave.
"We offer priority registration, extended test-taking time,
note-taking services, books on tapes, permission to tape lectures,
access to the High Tech Center in DSPS and learning skills courses,"
Kennerly said. "In addition, we provide interpreters for
the hearing-impaired and text enlargement, tutors and Braille
for the visually impaired (a system of printing read by touch)."
Las Positas has about 300 DSPS students on the campus in three
main areas: learning disabled, physically disabled, and psychologically
disabled.
"We are mostly dealing with people who are entering college
for the first time," said Dr. Brian Owyoung, the primary
DSPS counselor. Owyoung said that the DSPS staff visits high
schools to inform and recruit students into the program, and
holds an open house once a year. "We also have some people
who are reentering because they have been injured on their jobs
and have to be retrained," he said.
A nation-wide program, DSPS began in the early '70s in response
to federal legislation. "Laws ordered that we provide access
for people with disabilities," said Karen Halliday, vice
president of student services. In California, community colleges
lobbied for funding to support services for students with disabilities.
"We started our DSPS program at Las Positas a little over
10 years ago," Halliday said. "We have many students
who might be disabled but are not in our DSPS program."
LPC also has counseling for academic, career and disability-related
issues, which involve two people—Owyoung and Dr. Jim Gioia,
a part-time counselor.
Of the three types of disabilities—learning, physical, and
psychological—the learning disabled are the largest group
served. "Currently, we offer five different types of learning
skills classes," said Owyoung. The classes are testing,
reading, writing, problem solving or math, and computer access.
A very small number of LPC students are blind. "We have
about three or four blind students and they get around mostly
by themselves without attendants," said Owyoung. "Once
they've gotten familiar with the Braille [on the buildings],
they seem to be OK."
Right now, the campus has one short-in-stature person, who rides
around the campus in a cart. "She doesn't let her disability
get in her way. She has adjusted very well and she plans to go
on and take regular classes," said Owyoung. [See Stephanie]
Special services for hearing impaired or blind students include
a high-tech center with special devices. "For sight impaired,
we have screen-enlarged and voice-activated types of computer
software," he said. Among the range of assistance that DSPS
offers are books on tape and tutorial assistance.
"We don't provide disabled students with any financial resources
that are different from other students. They have to go through
the whole process just like everyone else does," said Owyoung.
If a person gets injured on the job and isn't able to continue
to work, however, the state Department of Rehabilitation can
assist with tuition, books and transportation.
"We really want to be able to provide the best services
and accommodations for our students at Las Positas because people
with disabilities should have the same rights and opportunities
as everyone else," said Halliday. "We never lower our
standards; we just provide the accommodations that students are
legally and morally entitled to."
After finishing at LPC, about half of the DSPS students go on
to a four-year college to finish their undergraduate degrees.
"Our staff is always available to provide services to
anyone who thinks he has a disability. And we keep all this informational
confidential." DSPS is located in Building 1500.
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© 2000 by Las Positas College Express