Pop Legend to Help Raise Money for CSU Students With Disabilities

Johanna Estrella, Staff Reporter

Johanna_Estrella@csumb.edu

May 8, 2008

During the 23rd annual International

Conference on Technology and Persons

with Disabilities, held March 12 at CSU

Northridge (CSUN), keynote speaker and

special guest Stevie Wonder announced

his commitment to a benefit concert to

help raise money for technology and

resources for students with disabilities.

The event was organized by the CSU

Accessible Technology (CSU-AT), an

organization that spans across all 23

California State Universities (CSU).

Assistive Technology specialist with the

Center for Academic Technology (CAT)

and Business faculty Cindy Compeán

had the privilege to meet Stevie Wonder

at the conference. Compeán emphasized

the importance of making lectures and

education accessible for students with

disabilities, whether electronic material

or course handouts, and that doing so

would be a benefit to everyone. The date

of the concert is to be announced.

Over 4,500 people participated in

this year’s conference that took place

over a five day period, making it one

of the largest international conventions.

Conferences put on by the CSU-AT are

available to the public in order to promote

disability awareness and present a variety

of styles so that everyone can learn to

make their teaching strategies inclusive.

According to the CAT website, Students

with vision, hearing, mobility, learning,

and psychiatric problems often require

special accommodations which involve

having their books read to them on the

computer, using dictation software to write

their papers, using modified equipment

such as one handed keyboards, and

creating enlarged text or magnification on

the computer to name a few.

The disabilities community was also

represented at the Peace at the Park event

held May 3. Students with disabilities

were only a part of this event, however,

and other clubs such as Black Students

United (BSU), EMPOWER, and el

Moviemiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de

Aztlan (MEChA) were in attendance.

Coordinator for Student Disabilities

Resources Margaret Keith said that

since people with disabilities have their

own community and culture, they may

share similar experiences with other

underrepresented groups.

Currently, CSU Monterey Bay’s

(CSUMB) Student Disabilities Resources

(SDR) offers students sign language

interpreters, specially installed programs

in computer labs, and textbooks

converted to alternative mediums,

including Braille. SDR also includes

training for students, faculty, and staff

to learn and use specialized equipment

and perform tasks that would otherwise

be difficult to access. In SDR, Keith

works to address any issues concerning

students with disabilities, and stressed

that students with disabilities fill out

student satisfactory survey forms to

help SDR know if it is adequately

serving its students.

Both Keith and Compeán emphasized

the importance of attending the Summer

Institute, expected to be held June 5

and 6 in building 18. The event is for

faculty and staff and focuses on learning

to teach with newer technology and

covers accessibility, PeopleSoft, iLearn,

universal design and more. CSUMB

is dedicated to presenting a wide range

of events, and anyone can learn to

accommodate, respect and communicate

among the small but diverse university

community.

For more information on the Center

for Academic Technology visit

cat.csumb.edu.