McBurney Student Newsletter for August 28, 2009

• August 31: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Open House, 2:30-4:30 pm
• September 15: Accessibility Advocates Kick-Off Meeting, 4:30-5:30 pm

• New McBurney Building:

  Just as classes were ending this past May, the McBurney Center received some very exciting news. We have been officially included in a campus building project called the Gordon Commons/McBurney Building project. The project will run in two phases. Phase 1 will be the construction of the new Gordon Commons, which will run along Dayton Street across from the SERF. Phase Two will include the demolition of the existing Gordon Commons with the McBurney Center, an underground parking lot, and a green space constructs on that site. The anticipated move-in date for McBurney is Fall 2013.

  Although the move-in date is a few years off, the planning and design process is already underway. All McBurney students can expect a survey to come via email in the next few weeks. A few of you will be asked to participate in a focus group led by the architects designing the McBurney facility. The entire design team is committed to involving students in the design of what we hope will be an extraordinary building on our campus.

  We will keep you posted on the plans as they develop. Please do take the few minutes needed to complete the survey when you receive it. We want to hear from you regarding your hopes and dreams for the new McBurney Center.

• Meet Kate Skarda, New Interim Accommodations Specialist:

  I have joined the McBurney Disability Resource Center as the interim accommodation specialist working with students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH). I will be working with DHH students, faculty, and staff to ensure access to classroom learning. I am a 2009 alumnus of UW-Madison with a B.A. in Art History. The highlights of my undergraduate career have been a study abroad program in Florence, Italy in the summer of 2008 and actively participating in campus student organizations: Associated Students of Madison (ASM) Diversity Committee and Accessibility Advocates.

• Free Individual RFB&D Memberships:

  As a result of grant funding, RFBD (Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic is currently offering free individual memberships (http://www.rfbd.org/membership-individual.htm) (a $100 value). Students must have a documented print disability to be eligible. Unlike the previous free membership offer, this membership allows students to get both CDs and downloadable versions of books. And, reading materials can be for either academic or recreational reading. Students who are approved for 'Document Conversion: Audio' on their McBurney VISA should contact the Document Conversion Coordinator (docconversion@odos.wisc.edu) for more information and to discuss hardware/software player options.

Welcome back, students! The DHH Office is having an Open House on Monday, August 31 from 2:30-4:30. Come join us for snacks and refreshments. This is a great opportunity to meet your service providers and other DHH students!

Want to Work for Greater Disability Awareness on Campus? There two ways you can. Join The McBurney Speakers Bureau or The Accessibility Advocates:

The Accessibility Advocates (AA) is a registered student organization that works for greater accessibility in a variety of ways. Last spring AA monitored the design of the New Union South and Cosponsored "Eye Opening Perspectives", a disability awareness conference held on campus. The Kick-Off Meeting will be September 15th at 4:30-5:30 in the McBurney Multipurpose Room, 1305 Linden Drive (Middleton Bldg.) For more information: Contact AA at www.mcburney.wisc.edu/information/aa.php

The McBurney Speakers Bureau is a volunteer organization run out of the McBurney Disability Resource Center. Speakers Bureau volunteers are trained to give short presentations on disability issues to student organizations and other campus groups. For more information: Contact McBurney Speakers Bureau at www.mcburney.wisc.edu/information/mcbspeaks.php

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (HR3101), introduced in Congress, would mandate accessibility for web-delivered video. Find out how the American Association of People with Disabilities is working to ensure passage of this bill through Caption Action 2 on Facebook .

Please see the Exception Nurse website for resources and information. The non-profit organization is committed to the inclusion of more people with disabilities in the nursing profession.

Check out information on the McBurney Adaptive Technology Scholarships.

Students who used test accommodations or notetaking services last year can still complete evaluations for those services:

Test Accommodations Student Survey

Notetaking Service Student Survey