Equal access to computer software and information is crucial to educational
and
employment achievement. Colleges and universities have an important obligation under the
ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that campus computing and
information resources are readily accessible and fully usable to students, faculty and
staff with disabilities.
At UCLA, the responsibility for computer and information accessibility is shared by
campus computing facilities, information providers, and departments. Recognizing the need
for a central coordinating unit for these access concerns, the Chancellor established the
Disabilities and Computing Program (DCP) in 1987 as a permanent campus-wide program. The
DCP is based in UCLA's Academic Technology Services.
Computer and information accessibility requires ongoing coordination with a number of
service providers on campus. The DCP works closely with key partners, including:
Mission
The mission of UCLA's Disabilities and Computing Program at Academic Technology Services
is two-fold. The first goal is to facilitate the integration of adaptive
computing technology into the areas of instruction, study, research, and employment at
UCLA. The second goal is to make information - including printed text, electronic
text, and multimedia - accessible to all students, faculty and staff.
The DCP Responsibility
The DCP serves students, faculty and staff, which gives the department a broad scope
and large challenge. In addition to this community, UCLA's DCP also has a
responsibility to provide consultation about information access and adaptive technology to
the greater higher education community and the surrounding geographic community.
Research and Development
In order to accomplish its mission, the DCP staff spends a significant amount of time on
research and development projects. This includes continuous tracking of new technology
developments in areas ranging from voice recognition to international web accessibility
initiatives, piloting of new technologies, and development and deployment of new services
based on changing needs and evolving technologies. These Research and Development projects
directly feed our ability to provide services to people with
disabilities and to always provide the most effective, state-of-the-art resources.
The DCP is fortunate to have benefactors who support our work. Charitable
contributions have allowed the department to purchase several important pieces of
technology over the past several years.
