Sigma Signs Has Been a Challenging but Enjoyable Task for Me I Wanted to Create
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SIGMA-SIGNS 199 mim i < « ^"¥".l.*^HJ.i|^<JU*«U'M«|i.W.llHMJlWPJJIW" ^llly.' ftjsa . Remo "^°'Ir Architectural, Educational, and ttitudinal Barriers I — —————— — ——— — — CONTENTS Main Features The Road to Campus Accessibility by John Kamradt 6 Sixties Fallout Returns and Does Good by Bryan Pratt 7 When You Encounter an Architectural Barrier by JoEllen Francis 7 Project PURSUIT: If You Have a Dream. PURSUE \i\\—hy Sarah Weaver 8 Employment Program at PACE by Rika Esser 9 Learning Disabilities: An Interview with Janet Macomber by Bryan Pratt 10 Extracurricular Interests 11 Where There is a Wheel There is a Way by Kan N. Hor 12 Challenge of the Day by Kim Iwashita 13 Handicapping Language by Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services 14 Breaking Down the Barriers by Keith Wessel 16 Related Features Beckwith Hall and Personal Assistance by Stacie Robertson 34 Democracy Reigns Again by Ron Phelps 35 Rika's Travels by Grace Tsao 36 ORES External Review b\ Brad Hedrick 38 S 1 r. M A • S I G N S I WS. mg(i Editor: — — ————— ————————— —— EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE: REMOVING ARCHITECTURAL. EDUCATIONAL. AND ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS Letters Letter from the Editor by Bryan Pratt 2 Letter from the DSO President by Mike Cafferty 3 Letter from the Chancellor by Michael Aiken 4 Letter from the Interim Director b\ Brad Hedrick 5 Delta Sigma Omicron News 1995-1996 Delta Sigma Omicron 18 Let's Surf the World Wide Weh 18 DSO New Student Picnic by Mike Rembis 19 The Night of Ghosts and Goblins by Mike Quach 19 DSO Annual Awards Banquet by Mike Cafferty 20 St. Nick Rides Again by Allan Creep 22 Hoop-A-Thon Raises Money and Awareness by Matt Lakin 23 Wheel-A-Thon— fov Mike Cafferty 23 Two Distinguished Deans Awarded by Ron Phelps 24 Sports News Tom Jones Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame by Bryan Pratt 25 The Atlanta Paralympic Games by Ellen Shafer 26 Men's Wheelchair Basketball Season by Paige Lewis 27 Experience and New Talent Come Together by Peggy Martin 28 An Abbreviated Season for Quad Rugby by Shawn Meredith 29 Boston (and Back Again) by James C. Shaw 30 The Search for Future Wheelchair Athletes by Gary Cabatingan 31 Information Technology and Wheelchair Sports by Shawn Meredith 32 ! You're Never Too Old to Learn ! by Robbie Edwards 33 Alumni Updates "Ask the Alumni!" 39 Obituaries 63 Alumni Addresses 64 Lost Alumni 76 Driving Ambition by Martin Zabell 78 1995-1996 Graduates 80 5.0 List 81 Deans List 81 Contributors 82 Meet the Faculty and Staff of DRES 83 Advertisers 84 Sports Apparel 88 SIG MA-SIGNS 1 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR DHIIjTA. SIOH4A. Oi4ICR.ON R.E H A Bl LITATl ON SER-VICE F" R. AT E R. NI X Tf Alpha Chaplfr Center 1207 South Strtel. Unwtnily of lUmou at Urbana-Champaign RehaMilatum-Educatum Oak Chami nUmau 61820 Dear readers: Acting as the Editor of this year's Sigma Signs has been a challenging but enjoyable task for me I wanted to create a magazine that will change the way that persons with disabilities are looked at and portrayed. I knew that m order to accomplish this many barriers are needed to be removed in society. It is my hope and the hope of others that the University of Illinois sets a standard for the rest of the world to live by. So. it only makes sense to call this year's theme. "Expectations for the Future; Removing Architectural, Educational, and Attitudinal Barriers." Current happenings at the University of Illinois seem to indicate that many architectural, educational, and attitudinal barriers will be obstacles of the past. Many architectural barriers have been removed from campus buildmgs to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. For example, elevators have been added to Ilhni Hall and Institute of Labor and Industnal Relations Building, and are currently being constructed for Noyes Lab and Nuclear Engmeenng Building. TTiis last year, approximately 95 automatic doors have been added or are planned. Also, educational bamers should be removed in the near future due to adaptive technology and in part, though the efforts of Project PURSLTT. whKh informs persons with disabilities how to achieve a higher education. La.st but not least, increased participation m the annual "Wheel Awareness" event and the dissolving of "Handicapping Language" should help eliminate stereoty-pes. providing less attitudinal barriers for persons with disabilities to overcome, (see Main Features) I hope that you. the reader, find the articles to be interesting and thought-provoking. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Cafferty, Ron Phelps. Christina Kuta, Paige Lewis, and all the writers who made this issue possible, especially. U of I graduate Mike Massow and Robbie Edwards who volunteered their time to do the layout. Please feel free to e-mail me any comments, whether good or bad, that you might have about this issue. Sincerely, '^oy^xm f^njo^ Br> an Pratt. Editor Sigma Signs 1 995- 1 996 E-MAIL; [email protected] DEDICJATED XO EDUCAXION. R, K S E A Ft C H AND SER.V1CE IN R. E H A B 1 1- I X AX 1 O N sarnvm msar- TO ajCDKCisa ovm ikBii.i'riBa to /^ waximuw bo as to winiwtEa ou« i5i»» Bii-iTim* tkat -^m wat ui^a movt awo 2 SIGMA- SIGNS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF DELTA SIGMA OMICRON DHJUTA. SIOS2A O^tflCR-OKT R-EH ABIL.ITATI O N SER-VICE F R, AT B K, N I T Y Alpha Chapter Oak Street, Champaign, Illinois 61820 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rehabilitation-Education Center 1207 South Dear friends of DSO, Before I begin, I would like to thank all Delta Sigma Omicron Alumni for their past efforts which have allowed hundreds of students with disabilities the opportunity to receive an education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As President of Delta Sigma Omicron during the 1995-96 school year, I was grateful for the dedication of the executive board. Namely Matt Lakin, Vice-President, who did an outstanding job coordinating this year's Hoop-A-Thon, Mike Quach for his enthusiasm as Treasurer and Allan Creep as Secretary. Moreover, I was pleased with the interest of this years' members of DSO. Because of their interest, it was easy to accomplish the goals that we had set. The Christmas Party at the Top of the Inn was a blast and the Annual Awards Banquet was also a success. The Hoop-A-Thon packed Kenny Gym and participants of the Wheel-A-Thon swarmed the Quad. We established the Distinguished Teaching Awards, which recognizes exemplary staff at UTUC for their implementation and/or accommodations for students with disabilities, (see articles) To further enhance DSO, we need to actively welcome a variety of members, not exclusively residents from Beckwith Hall. We (students with disabilities) could be such a powerful force, but the willingness to become one must exist. In a few short years accessibility for wheelchairs will be a thing of the past. We need to continue our focus on awareness and more importantly, on breaking the barriers to educational access. A cohesive Delta Sigma Omicron could eliminate many educational barriers, especially access to computer programs, which seem imminent. If we don't start immediately, we will be excluded from many educational opportunities, similar to what the founders of DSO faced with accessibility. To strengthen DSO further, we must send a representative to student government meetings, which did not happen this year. Lastly, it would not hurt to welcome people from the Chancellor's office to address some of our concerns. Actually, I think they would enjoy the conversation, and the pizza—depending where you ordered from. Knowing next year's officers, I am confident they will make great strides for Delta Sigma Omicron. My only request is that they remember some of the ideas that I have expressed. As for now, I would like to this opportunity to thank Paige Lewis for her advice throughout the school year. Brad Hedrick, and Bryan Pratt for his patience and dedication to this year's publication oi Sigma Signs. Finally, I hope that you will not only enjoy this edition of Sigma Signs, but that you have a better understanding of what Delta Sigma Omicron is and what we represent. Sincerely, Mike Cafferty DSO President DEDICATED TO EDUCATION, R.ESEAR.CH, AND SBR.VICE IN REHABILITATION TO HJXHlROiea) OUR ABII-ITIBS TO A UAXIMUU SO AS TO MIMIKIZB OUR. DIB X BILITI MB TMAT -WM MAY l^IVB MOBT AMD BBIftVa) BBaT SIGMA-SIGNS 3 : LETTER FROM THE CHANCELLOR Office of the Cluncellor University oF Illinois Swanlund Administration Building 217 33)^290 at Urbana-Champaign 601 East lohn Street 217 244-4121 fa Champaign, IL 61820 Dear Readers Welcome to Sigma Signs, the magazine of Delta Si^ia Onicroa. The editors tell me their theme for this edition is: "Expectations for the Future: Removing Architectural, Educational and Attitudinal Barriers." Issues of accessibility and perception are important to the administration of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Chaapaign, and DSO plays an active role in explaining what is being dooe on this campus to address them. We are proud that our campus is one of the most accessible in the nation, but we understand that it is vital to continue to live up to our reputation through a constant effort aimed at removing the barriers you face on canpus each day. As one of the nation's premier institutions, the University of Illinois is academically challenging.