Earl Warren College junior Jesse Dubler heads off to his political science class, finds a seat in the front row and flips open his laptop, ready to take notes. In front of him sits another computer, this one providing real-time captioning as the professor delves into the effects of the Cold War in Russia. After class, Dubler walks to Price Center to grab some lunch and relax. By pointing and gesturing, Dubler indicates his order, while the cashier seems unsure of how to respond. However, in the end, his order is filled, and he sits down with his plate of curry. Dubler seems like a typical college student, but he’s not – Dubler is deaf.

Currently, a reported 465 disabled students are enrolled in UCSD. However, because students must actively report their disabled status, this number may be understimated.

“”Unfortunately, based on what I’ve been hearing, inclusion of students with disabilities is the exception rather than the rule,”” Dubler said. “”They usually go to class and then home. Some disabled students may feel that their disability was stigmatized to the point where they felt it imprudent to advertise it.””

During a meeting of the UCSD Diversity Council on April 17, literature professor Michael Davidson noted that the current conditions for disabled students promote isolation and dissatisfaction with the educational experience.

At the meeting, Dubler presented a report that indicated several incidents where requests by students were left unheeded: One student requested wheelchair-accessible dorms, but nothing was done until four years later, a full quarter after that student had graduated.

In response, Dubler founded the Students with Disabilities Coalition, a part of the Students Affirmative Action Committee. Students with and without disabilities rally together at the organization’s meetings to discuss how to better inform students about the resources available to them on campus and to advocate for more support from UCSD.

“”The primary purpose of SDC is to promote a paradigm shift in our institutional culture and attitude toward those with disabilities by working in partnerships with stakeholders among all affiliates of the university,”” Dubler said.

Though the first meeting attracted over 30 people, attendance slowly dwindled as the year wore on until only a handful of students were left.

“”Right now, we are still a new organization finding its legs, but we have ambitious goals that will be implemented,”” Dubler said. “”It’s just a matter of when.””

The topic of how to better advertise the existence of this organization has been a principle issue at SDC meetings. Members work together to make pamphlets and decide where and when to set up information booths, so as to encourage students with disabilities – who are yet unaware that there is a group they can voice their opinions to on campus – to join the coalition.

During meetings, a diverse group of students mingle and share their experiences with the Office of Students with Disabilities and thoughts about accessibility on campus. One student may tell another about a wheelchair lift he has discovered in a certain building, and another may discuss resources that she feels should be made available.

“”Transcripts of classes are unavailable at UCSD, though they are available at several other colleges, for deaf students if they want to check their notes against what they took with the interpreter,”” Dubler said. “”If the interpreter makes a mistake, I can’t check later to be certain.””

The issue of having interpreters is a big problem for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Because of the language barrier, hearing-impaired students must have access to either a sign language interpreter or real-time captioning to succeed in class. If an interpreter is not very clear or is prone to mistakes, it can greatly affect the student’s grades. Having interpreters for organization-sponsered events at UCSD is also difficult.

“”When you walk around and see flyers, they are for events that week,”” Dubler said in reference to the OSD policy that requires students to request an interpreter a minimum of two weeks prior to the event. “”By this time, it’s too late to set up an interpreter.””

While the OSD is often the scapegoat, the problems on campus are not entirely their fault. The department’s power lies solely in academic matters and, as of April, it is over $100,000 in debt. The staff consists of only six people, including part-time staff members and an on-hand specialist with limited availability.

“”Without the support of the university, [the OSD has] no choice but to appear belligerent and even incompetent,”” Dubler said. “”This makes the office almost universally unpopular with students. Therefore, we have here a perfect scapegoat by the name of Roberta Gimblett, the director of the OSD, on the tip of everybody’s tongue. Even if students do not report that they had difficulties, they often commented that the OSD didn’t go out of its way to help many of them.””

The department, however, has been doing its best to help students with disabilities, and the university is working to pick up the slack. In 2002, then-Chancellor Robert C. Dynes established the Disability Management Work Group to evaluate how UCSD fairs in providing the necessary services for students with disabilities. The work group conducted its latest inquiry in 2005.

“”Those interviewed by the work group were knowledgeable, professional and dedicated individuals,”” Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer Jorge Huerta said in the 2005 Final Report of the Disability Management Work Group. “”In many cases they provided services that exceed those required under the relevant laws and policies.””

The work group also indicated some areas of weakness, including the lack of communication between departments responsible for providing services to students with disabilities and the inaccessibility of several resources.

“”The biggest accessibility issue is awareness,”” Dubler said. “”UCSD needs to do a much better job of providing information through a centralized Web site. They know this and have been beating around the bush on this for over a year now rather than implement, then expand as they go. I find it common that I would know more about a disabled student’s options than [that student] would know themselves, even if our disabilities differ.””

After lunch, Dubler heads to CLICS to use the students-with-disabilities lab for some studying. The lab was designed to aid the visually impaired with their texts. In the corridor near the bathrooms, the lab sits idly as students wander past without a second glance. A computer, a machine for enlarging texts, a scanner and a printer wait patiently to be used by someone. Few students, even those for which the room was designed, have any idea that such a room exists. So it is left abandoned, quietly waiting to fulfill its purpose.