UCOD Meeting Notes (June 10, 2025)

UCLA Committee on Disability / UCOD Meeting Notes (June 10, 2025)

UCOD Meeting Notes (June 10, 2025)

UCOD Meeting
June 10, 2025 / 2PM / Zoom

Attendees

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

Absent:
Yasamin Bolourian, Michael Garafola, Aryan Pandey, Nicholas Shinghal

Guests:
Mauricio Baker Mason, Jane Borochoff, Brandie Kirkpatrick, Marissa Klymkiw, Leroy Moore, Ariella Morrison, Spencer Scruggs

Agenda

1. Intros (MG, 7 mins)

2. UCOD Newsletter: Current status and future planning (Newsletter subcommittee, 7 mins)

a. Theme for the June/July issue is graduation.

b. Membership: Quinn is cycling off the committee and Caitlin is currently on leave. Sylvia joined.

c. Distribution of the newsletter is still to be determined moving forward since Strategic Communications does not have the bandwidth. Possibility of OARC or CAE hosting.

d. If you would like to contribute to the newsletter for the August issue, please reach out to Travis.

3. Preparing for Disability Pride Week 2025 (TL & QO, 7 mins)

a. Week of October 21st would work well for the Disability Job Fair.

b. Quinn is stepping down as lead and is happy to assist anyone interested in being involved. If anyone is interested in leading this event, please reach out to Travis.

c. Spencer volunteers to help with DPW.

d. Suggestion to screen the film The Ride Ahead.

e. Concern expressed about unknown departmental budgets. Leftover money from the previous year could be used to purchase swag for next year.

f. Suggestion to partner with SOL on organizing and funding.

g. Leroy suggests a possible virtual program with partners at the University of Cape Town.

4. Update: Scooter obstruction on campus (MG & TL, 10 mins)

a. Plan to draft a letter to the ADA Office, UCPD, and other campus administrators

b. Move to next meeting

5. Strategic priorities: Disability issues to elevate to Chancellor Frenk/Incoming Inclusive Excellence Leadership (TL, 10 mins)

a. Digital accessibility and the updated ADA mandate

b. Current student lawsuit against the university and historical background

c. Graduate student accessibility and accommodations

d. CAE staff retention

e. Disability Cultural Center

f. Sufficient support for TAs

g. LA 2028 Paralympics

h. Could meet with UCLA’s new Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, Ralina Joseph

6. Open floor and departmental updates (All, 10 mins)

a. Job posting for Assistant Director, DGSOM Disability Services

i. Partnership between CAE and the School of Medicine

b. CAE updates

i. Recently reclassified one specialist to serve graduate students specifically. Currently hiring for this position.

ii. Transitioning to AIM (new vendor) for managing accommodations, to launch in fall. New system will be a more robust, single place for applications.

iii. Senior Coaching Disability Coaching Specialist position filled. This position will be in charge of an academic support and life skills coaching pilot, to launch this summer.

iv. Clarification that peer notetaking is still offered as an accommodation through CAE, in addition to various softwares. The interactive process determines the mode of accommodation.

c. Disabilities and Computing Program is partnering with the Library, Teaching and Learning Center, and Digital Technology Solutions to pilot a workflow for digitally accessible instructional materials over the summer.

7. End general session at 3:15

8. Closed door voting members session

a. Not needed

Action Items

Travis will find out the balance from last year’s DPW and will work with Quinn on outreach to student orgs.
Travis will draft a list of issues to bring to higher leadership on behalf of UCOD.