Committee on Individuals with Disabilities
Mission
Adelphi University is committed to providing an environment which is responsive to the needs of individuals with disabilities including students, faculty, administrators, staff, and the larger community. The institution is equally supportive of full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The Committee on Individuals with Disabilities (CID) pledges continued active support in achieving universal access and ensuring that academic programs, facilities, and activities are made available to all students, employees and visitors with disabilities.
Charges
The following is a description of the responsibilities of the Committee on Individuals with Disabilities (CID).
The CID shall:
- Increase sensitivity and awareness among students, faculty, and staff on the Adelphi campus about the needs of individuals with disabilities.
- Provide input to and solicit input from various individuals or departments concerning issues of the accessibility and safety into buildings and access to programs.
- Assist the university in making the Adelphi campus accessible for persons with disabilities. To identify specific areas of need and recommend solutions.
- Assist the university in making the transition of students with disabilities to our campus a positive experience.
- Report and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate once a year.
Vision
Our vision is that all faculty would plan instruction with diverse student needs in mind, using principles of universal design for learning. Faculty would plan multisensory instruction and use a variety of resources, including technology, to make instruction accessible for different learning styles and needs. Our campus would be fully accessible, virtually barrier-free, and all programs would be able to welcome any qualified student or community member with any type of disability. All units within the university would know the laws about access and accommodation and would accept their responsibility as a matter of regular business. We would not need a separate office to advocate or solve individual problems because we would have all accepted responsibility.
Disability History & Disability Awareness Week
Disability History: An Important Part of America’s Heritage
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990. As a result of this landmark legislation, communities and workplaces across the nation have become more inclusive and welcoming for America’s nearly 40 million people with disabilities.
Despite the ADA’s importance, however, many Americans are unfamiliar with the events that led to its passage. Inspired by the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and the feminist movement of the 1970s, disability leaders joined forces and took action, holding sit-ins in Federal buildings, blocking inaccessible buses from moving, drafting legislation, and protesting in the streets. And like the broader movements that preceded it, the disability rights movement had its own heroes and champions: Ed Roberts, Gini Laurie and Justin Dart to name just a few.
Disability History Week in New York State
In New York State, representatives from People Inc. and the Museum of disABILITY History worked with Assemblymember Mark Schroeder of Buffalo in proposing legislation establishing the third week in October as Disability History Week. Assembly member Schroeder’s resolution was passed in the New York State Assembly. Senator Joe Robach of Rochester sponsored the legislation in the NYS Senate where it passed on June 19, 2007.
As part of the New York State Assembly’s Disability Awareness Day, a resolution commemorating New York State Disability History Week was passed in June 2008, earmarking the third week in October as Disability History Week.