MCC offers helpful services to those with disabilities
Kyle Coldwell
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects individuals from discrimination based on their disability. This act also gives individuals with disabilities equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services.
“Being in a wheelchair has reinforced my observation that a lot of able-bodied people ignore you if you are different. Often walking right in front of you or acting like they don’t see you,” said Mora Shahan, office coordinator for Disability Resources & Services (DRS).
“I’ve seen this second hand while walking beside someone in a chair, but this time it’s happening to me personally,” Shahan said.
Shahan recently suffered an injury to her foot, confining her to a wheelchair.
“DRS provides services at no charge for students with a wide range of disabilities,” Shahan said.
There were 915 students this past semester who received disability accommodations, Shahan said.
Those accommodations include advisement, registration, testing accommodations, in-class accommodations, aides, interpreters and more.
Carlos Colon, a student at MCC with Spina bifida, a spinal birth defect, feels that he doesn’t need the accommodations from DRS.
“I don’t really need help with anything except for maybe (opening) the door.” Colon said.
Jessica Matthis, an english major, has recently taken a job at DRS as a note taker.
“A student in one of my classes needed a note taker, so I volunteered,” said Matthis. “Since then I have been working as an out-of-class note taker.”
Eric Franks, an MCC student, has cerebral palsy.
“My Cerebral Palsy isn’t that severe, but I still need to use a wheelchair to get around. I receive double-time test accommodations, and have, in a few instances, utilized a note taker.depending on the rigors of the course material, I sometimes don’t choose to utilize that service.”
Franks described himself as a human rights and equality activist.
“We are humans and we should be treated as such, and not rest until this reality of equality is a reality for all humans disabled or not,” Franks said.
