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Establishing Disability Cultural Centers on Higher Education Campuses: An Example from Syracuse University. Diane R. Wiener, Ph.D., L.M.S.W. S.U. DCC Director and Research Associate Professor AHEAD Baltimore – July 2013.
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Establishing Disability Cultural Centers on Higher Education Campuses:An Example from Syracuse University Diane R. Wiener, Ph.D., L.M.S.W. S.U. DCC Director and Research Associate Professor AHEAD Baltimore – July 2013
What are some vital reasons for establishing Disability Cultural Centers on higher education campuses?
History of Disability Cultural Center at Syracuse University • Chancellor’s Task Force on Disability • Student advocacy (e.g., Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee) • Needs assessment (focus groups; visit to U. Minnesota’s Disabled Student Cultural Center) • “Don’t we have ODS for that?” • Strategizing re: funding, hiring, space
About S.U.’s DCC • Establish and celebrate a community that fosters pride in one’s identity and creates a culture of inclusion. • Build a community that values the capabilities of all people and recognizes that all individuals have the potential to excel and contribute to the academic and social environment at Syracuse University and beyond. • Serve as a meeting place for students, faculty, staff, and others who seek a safe environment in which all individuals are welcomed, respected, and included as full and equal members, within both the university and global communities.
About S.U.’s DCC • Serve as a catalyst for and a sponsor of a variety of essential programs, inside and outside of the classroom. The programs will heighten awareness and understanding, as well as promote dialogue and learning about disability rights as human rights. Programs will therefore emphasize that disability rights are expressions and forms of cultural diversity. • Create programming that emphasizes but is not limited to advancing the civic, economic, and social participation of persons with disabilities in a global society.
About S.U.’s DCC • Serve as a resource for sharing information on media, periodicals and other readings, websites, services, advocacy groups, and local, regional, national, and international organizations that focus on disability issues, including the history of disability, pedagogy and disability, and disability culture. • Work collaboratively with other campus organizations and offices that celebrate difference.
“Vision” of DCC as Hub, Network, and Process: Constituents and “Scholarship in Action” DCC Director, G.A., and Advisory Board: Building Bridges for Cultural Change
The S.U. DCC is about and creates a space for: • Activism and advocacy • Creativity and artfulness • Relaxation and pausing • Thinking, behaving, reflecting – critically • Having fun, feeling proud, celebrating life
Thank You!!Diane R. Wiener, Ph.D., L.M.S.W.Director, Disability Cultural Center (Division of Student Affairs)Research Associate Professor (School of Education)Syracuse University105 Hoople Building805 South Crouse AvenueSyracuse, NY 13244-2280dwiener@syr.edu(315) 443-4486FAX: (315) 443-0193DCC email address: sudcc@syr.eduDCC website: http://sudcc.syr.eduDCC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sudccDCC on Tumblr: http://disabilityculturalcenter.tumblr.com/DCC on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/DisabilityCultureSU