InLatin ADSUM means
“I Am Here”
- ADSUM was organized and founded in 1988, out of profound discrimination against students with disabilities in higher education.
- Physical inaccessibility was the primary stimulus in the creation of ADSUM, however many other forms of access have always been on our agenda.
- The University in 1988 hired Jim Marks who was the first “disability student advisor” to be a legitimate source of assistance for students.
Old Kaimin Headlines
- UM Access Lousy, Students Say (Oct. 14th 1988)
- Preliminary OCR Report Says
UM Violated Disabled Students Rights (Fall 1989)
Student Files Class Action against UM (1989)p>
- Students Must be OCR’s Watchdog (1990)
- Are We Here to Play or to Learn? (1990)
- House Approved Disability Legislation (1990)
- OCR to investigate complaints (1990)
- ADSUM Still Seeks Access (1991)
- UM Has Long Way to go to Ensure Access for Disabled Says ADSUM Member (1992)
ADSUM Protests for Building Accessibility (1992)
Former Student Found Dorms a Living Nightmare (1994)
- Due to inaccessibility of dorms had to live on the men’s floor and use the men’s bathroom.
- Skipped meals often because sometimes the wheelchair lift for food zoo stopped working.
- Dropped out of school related to the stress.
ADSUM Seeks to Put the Brakes on Bike Parking Problem (2001)
Missoulian
Questions of Access: Group Takes Issue with Initial Plans for New Student Apartment Complex (2001)
- Access is the means by which students with disabilities participate in University programs and activities. Access at the U of M is a civil right.
The Fight Continues
- There have been improvements over the years, but there remain several areas that are not in compliance at the UM. Some current issues include:
- Access to certain buildings.
- Lack of Accessible Entrances \ Exits.
- Lack of elevators \ Vertical Paths of Travel.
- Transit Access Features.
- Assistive listening devices for all buildings for the hard of hearing
- Complete computer accessibility for students who are blind.
- You might know how inaccessibility affects you:
- But how does it affect others?
- How can accessibility be improved?
- Who do I have to work with to make change?
- What does the law provide, and what are the responsibilities of the University System?
- ADSUM is part of a survival strategy to connect new students with resources to break through their barriers.
- How to work with DSS
- How to bring concerns to the ADA team
- When to contact OCR and file a complaint
- How to decipher ADAAG (Accessibility Guidelines)
- How to work with other systems like Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).
- Tips on being a student while handling SSI, SSDI problems.
Don’t do it alone.
- Many students come to the University not knowing most of what they need to survive, much less thrive.
- Students at ADSUM want to help others learn survival skills quickly and not have to start from scratch.
- For 20 years ADSUM has been advocating for solutions to help students with disabilities face their barriers at UM.