UCLA Committee on Disability / UCOD Meeting Notes (August 12, 2025)

UCOD Meeting Notes (August 12, 2025)

UCOD Meeting
August 12, 2025 / 2PM / Zoom

Attendees

Voting Members:
Yasamin Bolourian, Fang-I Chu, Michael Garafola, Cate Gvon, Travis Lee, Carolanne Link (Proxy for Caitlin Solone and Quinn O’Connor), Sanaz Nabat, Grace Overman, Sylvia Page, Harold Pimentel, Emilia Podesta, Sal Santa Ana, Alexa Vaughn

Absent:
Christine Craib, Aryan Pandey, Nicholas Shinghal

Guests:
Monic Clare, Rob Diaz, Mauricio Baker Mason, Jane Borochoff, Jameil Johnson, Supriya K., Brandie Kirkpatrick, Yonit Kovnator, Jennifer Miyaki, Leroy Moore, Ariella Morrison, Spencer Scruggs

Agenda

1. Intros (MG, 8 mins)

2. DPW Kickoff Event: October 14th (Everyone)

a. No monies leftover from last year.

b. Can UCOD use the money for pizza to feed students?

i. We need to double check because of current policy updates.

ii. Cate volunteers to help with T&E reporting.

iii. Suggestion to reduce the departmental amounts to increase approval odds.

c. OARC says they will donate $1000 for DPW 2025. Bruin Plaza reservation is $80.

d. Kickoff Event will be from 10am-1pm in Bruin Plaza on October 14th. Monthly UCOD meeting will be in person at the Math Sciences Building at 2pm.

e. Help will be needed for setup and cleanup of Kickoff Event.

f. Send out letters of request for respective departments for donations.

g. Interest from CEILS in co-sponsoring a speaker.

h. DCP will run the disability culture training but we still need 3+ additional events for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

i. CAE open house? CAE is making adjustments to current office space to make it more multi-use and is interested in doing an open house.

ii. Collar Scholars? Will table.

iii. Meet Ralina Joseph?

iv. Try adaptive sports equipment (basketball chair, hand cycles)?

v. Check with Career Services for tabling event. Career Services has a job fair on October 14th. There will be a sensory hour beforehand. Sanaz will invite organizations who provide career assistance to disabled people to table at DPW Kickoff Event. DPW will market the Career Services job fair and workforce recruitment program.

vi. Movie screening

1. Suggestion to screen The Ride Ahead or Autism Goes to College

2. Yasamin is in contact with the production staff of Autism Goes to College.

vii. Library: book display and zine-making event

i. Count of all departments that want to table for the Kick-Off event

i. Collar Scholars

ii. Disabled Student Union

iii. Neurodiversity Collective

iv. CAE

v. Library

vi. Ombuds Office

vii. DCP

viii. Tarjan Center

ix. CEILS/CIRTL/LA Program

x. Career Services

xi. Office of Inclusive Excellence

j. If your department is hosting an event or interested in tabling, please update Travis before the September 9th UCOD meeting.

k. Questions from UCLA Events Office

i. Brief descriptions of event set-up: Travis will provide

ii. Reservation time (this will include event set-up/event time/event clean-up): 10am-1pm

iii. Number of expected attendees (approximately): 1,000

iv. Will you provide all your own equipment (tables, chairs, speaker, etc.)? 11 tables (Two L-shapes) needed

v. Contact number: Travis’s phone number

3. Follow up with scooter issue (MG & CL)

a. Michael is involved in meetings with administrators about this issue.

b. Is anyone aware of who is distributing the signs on scooters?

4. Open discussion and department updates (All, 10 mins)

a. CAE is updating their office space using one time state funds. They are looking for a student to create a mural.

b. Issue with blocked/narrowed pathway to accessible elevator in Ackerman. Yonit will raise with ASUCLA. If anyone is aware of issues like this, please send them to Yonit.

5. End general session at 3:15

6. Closed door voting members session

Action Items

  1. Travis will double check that OARC can manage the funds, update the FAU, and ask about guidance re: food.
  2. Supriya will ask CEILS about speaker options. 
  3. Sanaz will provide a link for the Workforce Recruitment Program to Travis and will give an updated number of tables for Kickoff Event.
  4. Michael will check to see if the Wooden construction on the East Side will still work for using adaptive sports equipment during the Kickoff Event. 
  5. Everyone who is planning an event for DPW will send the finalized event date(s) by the September meeting.