Committee Members
Jay Dolmage, Chair
Jennifer Clary-Lemon
John Duffy
Patricia Dunn
Paul Heilker
Stephanie Kerschbaum
Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson
Margaret Price
Amy Vidali
Committee Charge
The committee is charged with the following:
1. To work with the current CCCC Program Chair or his/her appointee to make the annual convention intellectually and physically accessible to persons with disabilities by
a. advising NCTE/CCCC on selection of interpreters.
b. advising NCTE staff and CCCC Program Chair in developing a statement in convention program encouraging participants to make their presentations as accessible as possible.
c. advising NCTE staff and local arrangements chair concerning physical access to the convention hotel(s) and meeting space(s).
d. advising NCTE staff regarding possibility of establishing a disabilities service desk in convention registration area and providing people knowledgeable in working with people with disabilities to be available at various events.
2. To draft a “Policy on Access and Full Inclusion for CCCC” document that would help educate CCCC members about the general professional and public difficulties facing people with disabilities. Draft should be submitted to the Chair by October 1 for approval at the November meeting of the Executive Committee. It would also address such issues as rights, responsibilities, access, accommodations, barriers, stigma, legal ramifications, and student attitudes. This policy could eventually be posted on the committee’s webpage (item 6 below) and made available in print form at the convention.
3. To consult with NCTE staff regarding employment policies and practices to ensure that they reflect NCTE’s commitment to access and inclusion.
4. To help develop and maintain a committee web site with curricular materials and bibliographies on disability studies.
a. Practical resources about teaching writing to students with disabilities.
b. Links to books about disabilities and writing.
c. A mentor-type column that addresses issues of disability.
d. Links to other appropriate disability-related websites.
5. To identify possible funding sources, e.g., publishers, individuals, corporations, for support of such proposed cost items as the hiring of an ADA-familiar academic consultant or disability awareness consultant to conduct workshops and for support of scholarships to the annual conference for members with disabilities. Please consult with CCCC officers before seeking grants, as they often create legal obligations.
6. To combine efforts with other NCTE/CCCC committees where possible to improve efficiency.