University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Welcome to the spring semester! Here’s what’s going on with us:

Stacy Willis Memorial Scholarship

Every year the DRC offers one scholarship for up to $2,500 for the following academic year. We are accepting applications now, so go to the DRC website and select “Stacy Willis Memorial Scholarship” on the left to get more information or follow this link to the scholarship page. All the requirements are listed there, along with the application form. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Staff changes

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the imminent departure of Melanie Thornton from our staff. Melanie has been with us since 2000. For most of that time she served as Director for Project PACE, a ground-breaking federally-funded project that provided faculty training on such critical issues as reframing disability and Universal Design. She has most recently served as Associate Director for the DRC, and has worked with many students who will no doubt miss her presence as much as the department will. We wish her well on her journey.

Shuttle at UALR!

Perhaps you’ve seen the little green trollies driving around campus? They make up the new shuttle system that will be transporting students and others around campus! All trollies are wheelchair accessible. More information can be found on the Trojan Trolly website.

Student Lounge

Don’t forget to check out our Student Lounge to get plugged into our Facebook page, request Faculty Notification Letters, join the Disability Interest Group, and more!

Have a great semester!!

The elevator in Donaghey Student Center is temporarily closed for repairs. Patrons may use the service elevator in the hallway next to the main elevator until repairs are completed. Call the DRC with any questions.

As you face the main entrance of the Jack Stephens Center, to your left (south of the building) there are 8 marked accessible parking places, and a fully accessible entrance next to those spaces.

The other place to park for wheelchair access is to your right as you face the main entrance (east of the building). There are 14 marked accessible parking places. There is an accessible entrance just to the right of the big staircase of the main entrance.

IMPORTANT: These spots fill up early, so arrive 60 to 90 minutes early to park here. Otherwise, park where you are directed and watch for the shuttle.

Donaghey Student Center will be closed from 10:00 pm on Saturday, November 5 through 6:00 am on Sunday, November 6.

There will be a free advance screening of “Deaf Jam” as part of Community Cinema on Monday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m.

The screening will be held at Roosevelt Thompson Library in Little Rock located at 38 Rahling Circle. An audience discussion will follow led by Flint Fears, principal of the middle and high school programs at the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Refreshments will be served.

http://www.kuar.org/insidekuar/38135-kuar-aetn-present-advance-screening-of-deaf-jam.html

The Fribourgh Hall Elevator will be out of service beginning today and will be out for the rest of the week. The final stages of construction require some additional repair.

Apologies for the inconvenience. You may use the SCLB elevators in the interim.

Vince Rodgers | Director of Environmental Health & Safety

University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Facilities Management

501.371.7602 | varodgers@ualr.edu| Facilities

Receipt Required for Digital Books

Hi Everyone, welcome to the Fall 2011 semester. Just a brief note about book requests. Please remember you will be asked to provide this office with a copy of your book receipt. The publishing companies require this before providing us with your textbooks in the requested format. Thank you in advance and best wishes for a successful semester.

Requesting Books for Spring 2012

In order to help the DRC get your digital books on time, please request your books in alternate format as soon as you register, which for Spring 2012 should be in November. Otherwise, there may be a delay, which none of us wants.

DIG (Disability Interest Group) on Facebook

DIG is gearing up for the semester, and we’d love for you to be involved! Join the DIG Facebook Group to keep up-to-date on activities. With everyone’s input, DIG can continue to grow and be another voice for diversity, inclusion and accessibility at UALR. Not on Facebook? Email Melanie Thornton at mpthornton@ualr.edu to be added to the UALRDIG email list.

NCIL Internship

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is announcing 2 internship positions at our headquarters in Washington, DC. The NCIL Policy Internship Program is open to students and individuals pursuing a career in a field relevant to NCIL interests, particularly Independent Living and disability advocacy. Although not a requirement, preference shall be given to individuals with disabilities.

The program includes 2 internships, with positions lasting from January 15 – May 15, and September 1 – December 15. Interns are required to work 10-15 hours each week based out of NCIL headquarters in Washington, DC; actual schedule and hours to be negotiated with the Executive Director. For details, visit the NCIL website.

Construction at UALR

There are several construction projects currently in progress, which is making for some challenges regarding parking and pathways. To keep up with all the changes, visit the Construction website. We will also add posts to our site as we hear of disruptions of paths of travel, detours, and the like, and will also post them to our Facebook page.

We hope you have a wonderful semester. Cheers!

From Judy Williams: Please note that parking on the access road behind Larson and Ross Halls will be closed on Friday, July 29.

The Friday closure will only affect the five handicapped parking spaces on the access road. Those who typically park in one of these spaces should find alternative handicapped parking in the metered lot by Stabler Hall.

From the residence hall area, there is an accessible route by going through the Wesley Foundation parking lot, which hooks up to the sidewalk just west of the parking deck.

The Fine Arts elevator is being modernized and therefore is out of service. Work will be completed by August 30th for sure, and we hope by August 18th. This is the only elevator in Fine Arts, so access to the second floor will be available only via the stairs.

If further information is needed do not hesitate to call Disability Resource Center at 501.569.3143.