Making the Media
As publisher of the disability-focused Mainstream Magazine, Jones was
invited to the White House (left) just prior to the signing of the Americans
with Disabilities Act in 1990.
A lack of accommodation in 1973
led Cyndi Jones to put her studies
on hold, but times have certainly
changed for those with disabilities
on campus. Every year more than
500 undergraduate, graduate and
professional school students with
physical limitations, chronic health
issues, or psychological and learning
disabilities utilize resources from the
Office for Students with Disabilities
(OSD). From academic to housing
accommodations, the OSD ensures
the availability of transport and
educational resources for those who
need assistance.
“UC San Diego has the resources and
creativity to address issues of physical
and technological access for people
with disabilities in ways that are new
and exciting,” says OSD Director
Joanna Boval. “We are committed to
including disability/ability into our
larger conversations about diversity
and inclusion, which enhances the
university experience for everyone.”
In addition to the OSD, the
university’s ADA Title II Committee
pushes for campuswide disability
accommodation, such as installing
automatic doors, and affecting other
physical improvements to campus.
Open to anyone interested in disability
issues, Community Advocates for
Disability Rights and Education
(CADRE) promotes full inclusion and
equal opportunity for people with
disabilities.
For staff and faculty with disabilities,
DisABility Counseling and Consulting
(DCC) is responsible for providing
disability management and job
accommodation consultation services.
The Students with Disabilities
Coalition (SDC) is a social and support
network with a mission to assert
that all students with disabilities are
unique and bring rich experiences to
the UCSD community.
“Our magazine was a connection for
people to be aware and get involved.”
Jones was then invited back to the White
House signing ceremony for the Americans
with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. With
last year marking the ADA’s 25th anniversary, Jones and three other individuals were
featured in a commemorative exhibit at the
Smithsonian Institution highlighting leaders
of the disability community and honoring
the collective effort to ensure equal opportunity and prohibit disability discrimination.
ALONG WITH A CAREER PUSHING for
broad change in national policy, Jones also
strove to help others on a much more
personal level, one that would bring her
back to UC San Diego more than 30 years
after she had to halt her studies. In 2004,
Jones developed What’s Next?, a mentoring
program that brought together young
people with physical disabilities and paired
them with adult mentors with similar
limitations. “We wanted these kids to see
how someone facing their particular
challenges could succeed,” Jones says.
A summer residential component of the
program brought mentors and mentees to
the UC San Diego campus for a week, where
hands-on tips were shared for strategically
navigating the 1,200 acre university.
Jones views this sort of personal out-
reach as integral to perpetuate what she’s
spent her life fighting for. “The activist
work lays the foundation for the personal
work,” she says. “Unless people utilize the
access, it disappears. If we don’t get jobs,
if we don’t go to college, it will go away.”
Be it through impact in the political are-
na or a personal touch to find the strength
within, Jones believes that success for peo-
ple with disabilities is success for people in
general. The fight is never over, and accord-
ing to Jones, it’s a fight that all should take
part in. “Everyone will be disabled if you
live long enough,” says Jones. “When you
do something for disability rights, you’re
really doing something for yourself.”
For more information and other stories
about Tritons with disabilities, visit:
TRITONMAG.COM/DISABILIT YAWARENESS
