Page 12 - Laker Connection Fall 2010

Above: Business major Dennis Brown, who served 24 years in the U.S. Army before retiring, rep- resents one of many veterans who utilize DRC. Here, Brown discusses his academic goals with DRC Assistant Director Tameeka Hunter and Support Services Coordinator Karen Blackburn. Right: Student Clayton Beatty uses the CCTV to magnify his paper for easier reading and writing.
Disability Resource Center
By Lauren Graves
Federal law mandates the existence of Clayton State University’s Disability Resource Center, but it’s not the letter of the law that inspires Director Louise Bedrossian and the DRC staff – it’s the center’s role in empowering students.
At DRC, empowerment comes in many forms. For student Clayton Beatty, it comes in the form of a closed circuit television (CCTV), a video magnifier that assists people with low vision.
“I am legally blind. When I first came to Clayton State, I was told DRC offers programs that could assist me. DRC has been very helpful,” shares Beatty. In ad- dition to a CCTV, Beatty has additional
testing time, a private room for testing, a note-taker for his classes, and the use of another assistive technology – a voice recorder – arranged through DRC.
Beatty enjoyed his experience with DRC so much, he is now a student worker in the center. His personal story helps him encourage others to utilize DRC’s resources. And more students come to DRC every semester.
“We have had a 24 percent growth in students using the center and a 40 percent jump in the number of tests ad- ministered from spring 2009 to spring 2010,” says Bedrossian, who has worked as DRC’s director for nearly
three years. “We are pushing to become more visible and help raise awareness.” Part of the way DRC is becoming more visible on campus is through in- volvement with building projects. For ex- ample, DRC is working with the new BHS Annex architects regarding imple- menting Universal Design in the build-
ing’s construction and features. “Universal Design is a concept that means environments are designed to be easy for everyone to use,” says Bedrossian, noting things like ramps and accessible entrance signage. “We have been fortunate to have input on the new biology labs and help raise aware-
Empowering Clayton State students
10 THE LAKER CONNECTION