Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Leader at CSULB Disabeled Student Services

California State Long Beach has many exceptional department in it's premisses. Disabled Student Services stands out as one of these magnificant student services that succeeds at meeting CSULB's  high standard everyday. At DSS they assist students with disabilities as they secure their university degree at Caalifornia State University, Long Beach. 




 David Sanfilippo a Director at Disabled Student Services at CSULB tells about how his path in assisting people with disabilities began. 

"I had an opportunity to work with a high school program and they offered a special experience for high school students. I got a chance to work with people with disabilities." 
 
From that a job at a summer camp with kids and adults with disabilities continued for a few summers and a job at community college working with people with disability
  
Sanfilippo is a Director who finds passion in working at DSS here at CSULB.

 The highlights of Sanfilippo’s day are,” making sure students grow and develop…I’m inspired everyday by my students."

 Students come to see Sanfilippo for various reasons: to check up with him, they might be struggling, or they are struggling in class or their disability is getting in their way.

 Sanfilippo admires his students, he says "Our students work hard” 

At the center Sanfilippo worked with student that we deal with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, people who have physiological disabilities, “we deal with a full range,” says Sanfillipo.
  
National regulations and the President of the university are big resources that keep the center going, according to Sanfilippo.

 “The American Disabilities Act signed in 1990 prior to that Rehabilitation act of 1973 required any institution receiving federal financial assisting, to not exclude people with disabilities and make it a required to provide accommodations.” Said Sanfilippo.  


 The President's excellent fund designed at CSULB has also helped the center financially. The program is funded for student success and a $94 fee that each student pays at CSULB funds take.
  
Every year Sanfilippo works on an awareness program.
  





Send Silence Packing David Sanfilippo a Director at Disabled Student Services at CSULB tells about how his path in assisting people with disabilities began. 

"I had an opportunity to work with a high school program and they offered a special experience for high school students. I got a chance to work with people with disabilities." 
 
From that a job at a summer camp with kids and adults with disabilities continued for a few summers and a job at community college working with people with disability
  
Sanfilippo is a Director who finds passion in working at DSS here at CSULB.

 The highlights of Sanfilippo’s day are,” making sure students grow and develop…I’m inspired everyday by my students."

 Students come to see Sanfilippo for various reasons: to check up with him, they might be struggling, or they are struggling in class or their disability is getting in their way.

 Sanfilippo admires his students, he says "Our students work hard” 

At the center Sanfilippo worked with student that we deal with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, people who have physiological disabilities, “we deal with a full range,” says Sanfillipo.
  
National regulations and the President of the university are big resources that keep the center going, according to Sanfilippo.

 “The American Disabilities Act signed in 1990 prior to that Rehabilitation act of 1973 required any institution receiving federal financial assisting, to not exclude people with disabilities and make it a required to provide accommodations.” Said Sanfilippo.  


 The President's excellent fund designed at CSULB has also helped the center financially. The program is funded for student success and a $94 fee that each student pays at CSULB funds take.
  
Every year Sanfilippo works on an awareness program.
  
Send Silence Packing was one of the centers most recent events. Eleven hundred backpacks where placed on upper campus, to raise awareness of the number of students who have died from suicide.
 
Sanfilippo recommend that people go to the DSS website or facebook page in order to keep up to date with DSS events.
  
“There are two things I say I always love about my job. One is passion.  And two I see people grow, developing, maturing,” says Sanfilippo.















  

Wheelchair Users Face Trouble At the Dorms

Some students and faculty who use wheelchairs have decided not to live on campus due to limited wheelchair accessibility at on-campus living sites like Residence Commons and Parkside Commons.

Richard Beaver, a freshman psychology major living at Residence Commons, uses a wheelchair and lives in the Residence dorms. Still, he said he can see how students who are confined to a wheelchair might have difficulties on campus.

The Residence buildings have steep hills, few elevators and minimal ramps.

According to Carol Roberts-Corb, director of housing and residence life at Cal State Long Beach, the most recent on-campus buildings were constructed about 30 years ago and all of the sites meet the Legal Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for buildings of the time.
"We try to work close with DSS, making sure we are legally up to code, and if we are ethically doing what we can to meet all students needs," Roberts-Corb said.


(Photographer: Sean Boyd)

David Sanfilippo, director of disabled student services, said housing may not be completely aware of the situation for disabled students and faculty.

  "It would be nice to have a switchback by the grass areas, but here is the problem: For every inch of height, you have to have 12 inches of length. So for that particular gradation, there is probably four feet, meaning 48 feet of ramp."

Before housing can begin construction on the dorms, it considers three aspects: Whether the buildings legally meet requirements, what the ethical needs are and its costs.

Parkside Commons also falls short in wheelchair accessibility, not for students, but for faculty.

Every professor who is hired at CSULB is eligible for faculty housing, but because there are limited spots, there is a competitive application process for when there is an opening.

Approximately three years have passed since wheelchair-user assistant professor of journalism Danny Paskin was chosen as a candidate for an exclusive spot in faculty housing in Parkside.
Although he was not selected as the final candidate for the on-campus faculty spot at the time, Paskin recollected there being a lack of wheelchair access to faculty housing in Parkside.

Paskin said he was offered a "Plan B," but it was different than what was offered to non-disabled professors. Eventually, Paskin was not selected to live on campus.

Roberts-Corb confirmed that nothing has changed regarding wheelchair accessibility in faculty living in Parkside since three years ago.

  Roberts-Corb said, "We have accessible faculty housing in the Residential Learning College, but currently at Parkside, no."

For the rest of the stor visit  http://www.daily49er.com/news/wheelchair-users-face-trouble-at-dorms-1.267149