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Within the Disability Services Program offices lie instruction classrooms, a computer lab, counseling services, and opportunity for academic assessment, as well as information on classes that will assist in students' employability. All this and more is offered within Room 407, otherwise known as the DSP offices. The problem is trying to get into the DSP offices.
"'The Disability Services' push button does not work…" said Candace Roe, DSP Counselor/Coordinator, of the door to the offices. "Erin Vines has put in numerous requests to have this door fixed, [but] the door is inoperable."
It is just one of the many issues that have come up within the year that DSP has been in the new 400 building.
"We have a problem where the blower was built above the DSP [offices]." Roe said. She goes on to describe how this results in the lobby being too cold for students and administrative staff, since the blower does not have a control switch and pumps enough air conditioning to cool the whole building.
There have been many attempts to get these problems addressed by Solano Community College, but many of the staff believe it has been to little or no avail.
"We just feel like our voices fall on deaf ears," said Roe.
Other concerns include a new instruction classroom that is too small.
"What happened there was some funding problems with the building," said Ron Nelson, Adjunct DSP Counselor, of the DSP instruction classroom that was originally supposed to hold 20 students. "So they shrunk the building because it was costing too much… therefore that classroom got shrunk from the original size that it was supposed to be so now its not very useable because of the size. It barely fits 12 people. You can squeeze 15 in there, but it's close. If you get any wheelchairs then you've got problems."
Nelson has been a DSP counselor for over 30 years. He has assisted students with not only their educational goals but in learning how to advocate for themselves.
"The whole purpose of our services is to equalize the playing field," Nelson said.
One of the ways he has supported this is by assisting Krysta Morlan and the Disability Success and Outreach Club. The club is now working on a list of things on campus that either does not meet ADA compliance or are particularly difficult for a student with a disability to access.
"We're treating it almost like a petition. It's going to be signed by students," said Morlan, President of the new club. "There is a sort of protocol that you have to go through. I started by going to Ron Nelson… he said you have to go to Erin Vine." And thus the wheels of change were set in motion.
Morlan and April Nelson, vice presidents of the Disability Success and Outreach Club, will meet with Erin Vines, dean of Counseling/Guidance and DSP, on Wednesday to hand over their list.
As for the not-so-automatic doors, Vines has stated that he is not sure when they will be completed. He added, "The air conditioning issue was also reported to maintenance. They have worked on it. As of today, the air conditioning issue remains."
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