By Thompson Perry
The mission of the DRC is a relatively simple one. It ensures that individuals with disabilities will have equal opportunity to fully benefit from everything the university has to offer.
“The staff of the DRC serves as a resource on disability-related issues to members of the university community and the community at large,” said Cathy Patus, director of the center. “We also provide advocacy for a more accessible campus.”
U of L strives to provide an inclusive and welcoming campus to all its students, and the DRC is the heart and soul of this cause.
Whether it is providing an assistant to help with lab work or finding a classmate willing to share notes, the center is always looking to enrich the school experience for those who require attention or assistance. It is a tall task that the committed staff embraces each semester.
“It is challenging to inform and remind the entire university community of the responsibility to provide access to their programs and services to individuals with disabilities,” Patus said.
“Each semester, we continue to address videos shown in the classroom that are not captioned, on-line course content with no provision for access by students who rely on screen readers due to visual impairments, bicycles attached to rails of access ramps that impede access to buildings by those who use wheelchairs, etc.”
For all its frustrations, though, Patus maintains that her work remains very fulfilling.
“I have been with the DRC for 25 years, and each year gets better than the last,” she said. “The most rewarding part of my job is having the opportunity to play a small role in assisting students with disabilities to gain access to programs and services of the university.”
For a student with a disability, the first step in acquiring assistance is to contact the DRC to request the appropriate accommodations. Medical documentation is usually required to verify that the student does indeed require the service requested. The center will then facilitate the assistance needed for the student.
The staff estimates that the DRC works with about 500 students each year within the university, one of whom is senior history major Sara Mudd.
“The staff at the DRC is always very welcoming and willing to help where and when they can,” said Mudd, who navigates the U of L campus in a wheelchair and, like everyone, has to look to others for assistance at times.
“For those disabled students like myself who can’t hold an umbrella and walk across campus in the rain, or those that need help flipping through books to do research, we need to spread the word so that more interested, dependable individuals will come to the DRC and volunteer to help disabled students in need.”
Therefore, the DRC assumes this responsibility, and the payoff is equally satisfying.
“On the whole, the general awareness toward students with disabilities at U of L is very high and positive.? There always seems to be someone around to open a door when needed,” said Mudd. “It encourages me when people see me headed toward a door and they open it without my asking. Deeds like this remind me that chivalry and courtesy still do exist.”
Statements like these offer proof that the DRC is hard at work raising awareness and improving the attitudes of students across campus.
“I encourage and challenge each and every member of the university community to consider access for persons with disabilities in all that you do,” Patus said. “Call the DRC at 852-6938 to learn more about how to do it.”
