UCOD Meeting Notes (December 10, 2024)
UCOD Meeting
December 10, 2024 / 2PM / Zoom
Attendees
Voting Members:
Yasamin Bolourian, Christine Craib (proxy for Harold Pimental after 3pm), Michael Garafola, Travis Lee, Carolanne Link (proxy for Nicholas Shinghal), Quinn O’Connor, Sylvia Page, Harold Pimental, Sal Santa Ana, Caitlin Solone, Alexa Vaughn
Absent:
Fang-I Chu, Adam Kipust, Kayla Kirsten Regalado, Sanaz Nabati, Emilia Podesta
Guests:
Fara Anzures, Mauricio Baker Mason, Callie Brazil, Rob Diaz, Brandie Kirkpatrick, Yonit Kovnator, Leroy Moore, Ariella Morrison, Spencer Scruggs, Tadeo Spencer, Suzanne “Seppy” Seplow, Brooke Wilkinson, Mikaela Zetley
Agenda
1. Intros (TL, 10 mins)
2. Newsletter updates (Newsletter subcommittee, 5 mins)
a. Let the newsletter subcommittee know if you know of student jobs around or for disability to post.
b. Upcoming issue will publish the UCOD Election information. General interest garnered in February/March. Nine positions up for election. Confirm voting members in April. Leadership call in April. Chair and co-chair positions are determined by ranked choice voting.
c. Solicitation for upcoming newsletter themes or topics: disability in media production, upcoming documentary about anniversary of student protests at Gallaudet
3. Bruin Access van update (TS, 7 mins)
a. Students propose that students who are approved for Bruin Access accommodation receive on campus parking waiver or extend dorm parking accommodation to the rest of campus. Students are also interested in a carpool as an interim solution.
b. Conversation tabled for closed door session for voting members
4. UCOD members year in review and goals for 2025 (20-30 mins)
a. Think about your department: what did you do this year around disability?
b. What are some of your goals for 2025 around disability inclusion?
c. How can UCOD support your department goals?
d. This topic is for everyone. Even if your department doesn’t do anything specifically around disability, a simple goal could be to caption your YouTube videos or ensure that your holiday party is accessible.
e. Disabilities and Computing Program: responding to recent update to ADA. Supporting a broader scope instructional accessibility, including LMS. Bring more websites into SiteImprove for remediation.
f. Disability Studies: new major, new faculty search this year and next year. Lots of public events. Collaborative conference with LMU in February.
g. Adaptive Rec: Working with Disability Studies major for more events and engagement.
h. Leroy and Krip-Hop: First LA event at LACC and Soul Strategy Center. Leroy taught two classes as a TA in Disability Studies and passed his first comp exam. Leroy wrote another chapter in an upcoming textbook entitled: “Not Inclusion Because Black Disabled Entertainers Have Always Been Here.” Leroy’s conference proposal was accepted for the 2025 A Neighborly Conversation: Disability Studies in Los Angeles at The Coelho Center at Loyola Marymount University. Leroy and Wilfredo Gomez presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Studies Association, November 14-17 in Baltimore, Maryland. Title of the talk was: Crippin’ Culture: Krip-Hop, Disability Justice, and Community within Disability Studies. Building a Black Disabled Event will be held online in February 2025.
i. Computational Medicine: Course remediation through DCP and engagement with Access Computing. Harold is co-chairing the JEDI committee, proposing a new partnership with UCOD. Working on mentor faculty search.
j. Quinn: Provided access advising for LA Dance Project. Organizing with Southern California Disabled Artists Collective. Presenting low cost access initiatives to arts organizations.
k. Alexa: Has a paper on DeafScape being published in LA+ sometime in 2025. Alexa also has a conference paper selected on the history of the design of Gallaudet University’s campus for the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) Conference in April 2025. Submissions to Journal of Design History (JDH) as well (hopeful for publication). Alexa will also continue teaching DIS 195CE (Internship Course) through spring quarter.
l. Tarjan: Tarjan will also be at LMU’s A Neighborly Conversation conference in February to present as part of a panel organized on autism and neurodiversity courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and medical school levels and how we integrate community engagement in this work.
m. Christine: Working with UCOD and building cross-UC collaboration and interest in expanding Disability Studies to give graduate students the opportunity to engage, perhaps in a certificate program.
n. CAE: Brought in new professionals including Associate Director. Increase in students seeking CAE support. Currently have ten disability specialists for academics and one specifically for housing. Working to hire more positions. Working on a new academic/social skills coaching program. Invested in software solutions. CAE is now sponsoring JAWS and Fusion licenses. Goals for 2025: getting a system that works for everyone, getting wait times down.
o. Law School working on making digital content (intranet and internal documentation, external content) as accessible as possible.
p. Education: New integrated math methods and disability justice course: Integrated Mathematical Methods for Elementary Teachers
q. Library: Continuing to add to list of adaptive peripherals to check out and working with DCP on solutions for remediating collections.
r. Shout out to Quinn for leading Disability Pride Week organizing!
5. Discussion of mandatory Zoom camera on policies for classes (TL, 10 mins)
a. Are there disability implications if a faculty member were to enforce a policy for Zoom cameras on?
b. Move to the next meeting’s agenda.
6. End general session at 3:15
7. Closed door session for voting members (10-15 mins)
a. Transportation
i. Disabled parking used to be free.
ii. Compare with UCB and UCSD policies.
iii. Recognition that these issues are not new.
iv. Carolanne and Michael can liaise with transportation on the Physical Spaces committee with Transportation for long term partnership and solutions.
b. Proposed by-law changes:
i. “In order to be eligible to run for Chair or Vice Chair, a candidate must have been a voting member or Leadership Attache on UCOD for at least one year.” Approved.
ii. “To be eligible to be a Subcommittee Chair, one must be a voting member or officially documented ex officio member (or Leadership Attache) of UCOD for at least one year.” Approved.
iii. Recognizing ex-officio representatives: No vote, discussion tabled to coincide with discussion about recruitment.
iv. Leadership Attache position: Leadership will come up with suggested language to bring to the general meeting.
Action Items
- Seppy will reach out to Transportation to confirm that parking placards allow parking in any lot.
Items for Next Agenda
- Discussion about mandatory camera on policies for classes
- Discussion about recruitment for UCOD, formally recognizing ex officio members, and Leadership Attache position
