College handicap study on back burner
An audit of the College’s
serivces and facilities for han
dicapped students is so over-
due from the Department of
Health and Welfare that it may
I tie the Iranian hostage crisis if
[it’s not received in the next few
I weeks.
| The team oC federal in-
[vestiqators that visited the Col-
llege the 'week of Jan. 30,
11980, had promised a report of
tits findings within 90 days. The
I count is currently up to 420
I days, and climbing.
I Jim Roberts, dean of student
[services, said he did not expect
I any major violations to be cited
I in the audit. “Our intent is to
I make the compliance,” he
Laid. However, until HEW
¡completes the study, there is
I no way to tell if the College is
■meeting all federal regulations.
I Because there is no way'to
■tell where improvements still
[need to be made, budgeting
■money for improvements is im
possible. Money could be taken
[from the College’s emergency
[fund, if the study notes viola-
[tions. Approval of the College
[Board of Trustees is needed
[before this fund can be used. “I
■think HEW has set the
[Clackamas study on the
■backburner,” Roberts said.
Blueprints of the Linus Paul
ing Science Building were
given to HEW back in 1980
when the team visited the Col
lege. According to' Debbie Ben
nett of the College’s Handicap
ped Resource Center, HEW’s
evaluation is not accurate
because of changes in the
blueprints since then. Don
Fisher, facilities development
ahd planning officer, believes
th'at blueprint changes do not
affect handicapped accessibili
ty-
Jim Carrol of the Health and
Welfare Department (formerly
HEW) regional office in Seattle
said the study was late
because, “We have a lot of
work to do and we are behind
in it;” Carrol blamed the delay
on the small number of staff
members in his department.
Last year HEW split into two
departments, and the transition
period caused work to pile up,
according to Carrol.
The study is now in the pro
cess of being reviewed by
Health and Welfare’s legal
staff Carrol said, “The study
should be completed some
time soon?’ He said that he did
not want to speculate exactly
when the College would
receive the study.
“I’m to the point where I’m
A three-person team from dations, note violations and of
past flustration,” Bennett said. HEW’s office in Seattle^ spent fer technical assistance. The in
“I call and they say, ‘Oh, it’s the week of Jan. 301 1980, on stallation of audio/visual fire
coming. Oh, it’s coming.’ 1 get campus talking * to /acuity and alarms for deaf persons was
the same thing time after time.” students. The team sat in on
suggested by the team. This
Numerous phone calls and let classes and inspected college
type of alarm is equipped with
ters have been sent to the buildings. Don Fisher was
a flashing light in addition to a
presented with an 11-page siren.
federal agency. One registered
checklist to fill out and return to
letter has been sent by ad
investigators to determine the
During the week of the in
ministration. Contacting the
extent of the requirements the vestigation, the HEW team told
legislature about the problem College met;
_ the College administration that
has -been considered, but
The HEW team study was the study would be released to
Roberts decided that such ac
supposed to make recommen- the College in 90 days.
tion. was inappropriate.
The College did a “Han
dicapped Self-Evaluation
Study” in June 1978. That
study was done to bring the
College up to federal regulation
504, designed to protect the
rights of handicapped persons.
The College by law must make
accomodations for the han
dicapped, such as handicap
ped access and special educa
tion programs.
The College requested an in-
depth investigation by the
Department of Health Educa
tion and Welfare. The objective
of the HEW study was to see
how well the College is com
plying with 504. The HEW
study was similar to the study
done by the College.*
I believe that man will not merely endure, he will prevail.
He is immortal not because he alone among creatures
has an inexhaustible voice,
but because he has a soul, a spirit
capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance.
ASG election
process underway
As of noon Monday there
were only eight petitions turned
in by candidates for ASG of
fices for the coming year. With
elections a bare two weeks
away, student government of
ficers were hoping for more
candidates. The deadline for
turning in petitions was Friday.
“It would be nice if there
were at least two or three can
didates for every office,” com
mented President Eric Etzel at a
recent ASG meeting. There are
three candidates each for the
offices of president and vice-
president.
Candidates for president are
Sam Crosby, Walt McAllister
and Joseph Schweizer; for vice
president: Mike Clanton, Kevin
Kelton and Susy Ryan; for
business manager: Chris Cle
ment; and for secretary: Ginger
Olney,
Posters and other campaign
material will have to remain
down until three days before
the elections set for April
22-23. Because of past pro
blems, all such materials will be
allowed to be posted only on
brick or concrete surfaces.
A Public Servici,*
of This Newspaper &
The Advertising Council
Words: William Faulkner
Photo: Ansel Adams
Wednesday, April 8, 1981
Page 5