Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Campus be for handici By SANDI McDANIEL Gamecock Staff Writer Improvements have been made during the past four years that have made USC more accessible to handicapped students. An advisory committee made up ui iu memuers, several 01 wnom are students, makes recommendations to the office of student affairs. This committee makes suggestions for improvements on campus. The advisory committee suggested the creation of a fulltime committee to oversee the problems of handicapped students. THE COUNSELLING and Human Development Office directed by Bud Thurber, was formed 15 months ago. While changes now are voluntarily made, they will soon be mandatory. Courts have already made recommendations concerning facilities for handicapped students. Accommodations made now are in anticipation of future legislation requiring equal facilities, Thurber said. One area where alterations have been made voluntarily in anticipation of future regulations is with dorm rooms. "There are special rooms in some dorms now available for the handicapped if they want them, and they were planned with the handicapped in mind," said Thurber. Two of the dorms with tb?-se rooms are Bates West and Harper. The rooms are adapted to make beds and toilet facilities mure accessiDie. "Buildings on campus that are equipped for the handicapped are marked by the standard silver and blue decal," said Thurber. The decal is a national symbol for the handicapped. Although the new buildings on campus have been planned with the handicapped in mind, several tUr. ~ 1 -I * ' ui mi; oiuer ones nave not been renovated because of the cost. T1IK OFFICE has been instrumental in arranging for the curb cuts on campus, Thurber said. Although there are several areas, such as Ixing Street, without curbs that accommodate wheelchairs, there are plans for the future for all curbs to be cut. Thurber said several things are under consideration by the committee, such as the modification of a bus for transportation of the handicapped. There is also work planned on the P.E. pool that will allow the handicapped to use it more easily. There are plans for installing tones for the floors in elevators which will allow blind students to recognize floors in the Thomas Cooper Library. THERE IS A pre-college summer program for blind students to come to USC to become familiar with the campus while taking his first two courses. Handicapped students have designated areas for parking near classrooms. There have been problems, however, in keeping non-handicapped students out of those spaces. Ang altered apped stud< Danny Baker of the parking division at USC said, "Generally, we tow the car. There have been quite a few lately that we've had to tow. Sometimes up to two or three a day. There are procedures that a temporarily handicapped person can go through to get a decal if he takes the time." Glen McCoy, a blind junior majoring in religion at USC, said, "There has been slim improvement since I've been here. There is a center in Baker for the :iiis blind, but some of the equipment has been allowed to go downhill." The center includes typewriters and visual aides for persons who are partially blind. "The addition of the Braille menu has been an improvement as well as the Library Room in Thomas Cooper Library. The (familiarizing) program in the .5uui 111 Li?rnTT5?iinpi uvea, i ne Gamecock used to be put on tape, but that's disappeared," added McCoy. SNEHhHHGP^F I Slfi zk : ' :''^." SHKS* 11 y II1 iii MONDAY THRU WENESDAY * LADIES FREE TUESDAY- College ID s FREE plus Dancing Lessons THURSDAY- FREE BEER B-l 1 EXCELLENT RESTAURANT ? LARGE GAMEROOM Proper Dress Required 2701 Rosewood Dr. 7? - j ' '' ' './: i,, , ', ; '"'" I ^^H^^^H^n59^B^S2nB99HB^iBki&!B* ?. ,?^Ci ^IfJLnTt^ff ? 3