Life, And The Problems With It! (1-9)

As I have stated before, I'm beginning my blog again retaining all of the same focus and energy I have kept in dormant for the truly important.

(The following segment contains just the facts!)

PASS Office Mission Statement

"To arrange for accommodations/services a student must make an appointment with the PASS Office for an intake interview. Any available documentation regarding a student's disability i.e. IEPC or medical reports or physiological evaluations, should be presented at that time."
************************************************************************************
Today on (1-9) began my first day of the new semester at OCC. I have to say I am not happy with what has taken place there, I will not stand by and watch as nothing gets done to improve the situation, however, I will give lenience because people involved in a big mistake get one chance to make it right. I hope those that are reading heed the advice I have just given... because if the collective can't forgive one big mistake, then the collective will find themselves unable to develop as individuals and as compassionate people.

The situation begins when my friend and I first discover that when we pull up to the building that we need to enter class from was blocked off... we didn't panic yet, because we thought we could find alternatives to get the class. As we traveled along the campus all of the alternatives were blocked with barricades, and even though we could move them no matter how impractical it may have been, the pathway was an unsalted sheet of ice. So as stated in the OCC guidebook, (for a lack of a better term) both of us went to the PASS Office.

Both my friend and I have a disability... but I believe if the problem can be solved... we have to be proactive.

The PASS Office deals with individuals who have disabilities on all account of inquires mentioned by the student to associate. If the associate can't provide the student with the help that was requested, then it is considered the right of the associate, at the very least, to provide alternative ideas that could lead to a solution. My friend and I told the associate that we needed to find a route that was safe to cross that didn't contain stairs, icy pathways, or blatant obstacles in order to get to class. I almost lost it when the associate said, "You guys can go through these paths because it uses only stairs." The associate had also mentioned, "I haven't been down the routes in awhile." As he continued back at his post talking with the other co-workers, my friend began to ask around for help, I stayed back with my eyes on the associate. She had found help that later lead to assistance down some stairs and through the muddy pathways. The pathways weren't safe enough to cross unless we had received assistance from another person. The sidewalks were unsalted, unleveled, and underdeveloped. People that find their mobility in a wheelchair would find the entire area in a condition so deplorable that even their aides couldn't assist them. I feel that if the condition was in question the associate could have gone with my friend and I to get an accurate deduction as to have some sort of idea of what to do for the future problems that would surely arise. Is it safe to say that a person without a disability could even find this somewhat dangerous?

The associate said he had called for help to assist my friend to class but he hadn't realized I witnessed him to chat his co-workers for the entire time. The help had already came and passed long before he so much as even thought of helping us. No apology was expressed by that associate specifically, although my friend and I seemed destined to an apology by someone other then the one that should be accountable for the situation.

Thanks to a non PASS affiliated counselor and some help from someone else, the counselor was able to make sense of the situation of my friend and I. The counselor that wasn't required to do anything for us... had taken the matter in her hands to correct the problem! She had called for the construction workers to move the barricades and salt the area! Witnesses that dropped my friend and I off to OCC said that they had seen the construction workers follow the task at hand. The counselor was going to contact the associate's boss.

Not long after class we had received a call from the associate's boss... the boss had claimed, "This situation wasn't the fault of anyone." THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO OTHER SOLUTION!!!!! AS STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS WE SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO BASIC RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS! THOSE FREEDOMS SHOULD ENTAIL SAFE TRAVELING AND WELL-BEING OF THE INDIVIDUALS ON CAMPUS!

This isn't just a problem for my friend and I... did OCC associates forget about the others with disabilities? How would students with disabilities feel if they had to drive a long way to class only to find they couldn't attend it?! FROM THIS SITUATION IT CAN BE INTERPRETED THAT OCC DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE ADA (AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT) OR THE STUDENTS THAT CONTAIN DISABILITIES.

As mandated by law OCC is required to keep up with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which also goes in hand with some of the parts of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If I find violations of the acts I will find out what can be done to stop the problems. The whole subject of the article is not to be taken as a threat, it is to promote awareness. Someone please create some solutions for those that just want to have to think about class, and not how to get to class.

EVERYONE GETS ONE CHANCE... IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN I WILL TAKE ACTION!

Best to all, -John Ott

P.S. Please leave feedback... Is this acceptable on the behalf of OCC? I'm I in the right? What should be done to amend this problem?

I'm also providing websites to view the acts....

To access the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 use the link below...
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/reg3a.html#Anchor-17431

To access the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 use the link below...
http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/ofccp/sec503.htm