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Disability Resource Center: new name, faces promise to provide same beneficial services

August 28, 2012

Photo of a magnifying glass over the word “resource” in the dictionaryA growing number of students with disabilities are coming to college campuses across the country, including NIU.

In the past few years, the number of students at NIU who have disclosed they have a disability has more than doubled. Why? Students have shared that NIU provides a welcoming campus community, one in which disability is included as a tenet of diversity.

In response to the increasing number of students proud to share they have a disability, the Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management has announced that the department responsible for disability services at NIU has recently changed its name to the Disability Resource Center.

Formerly known as the Center for Access-Ability Resources, or CAAR, the Disability Resource Center, or DRC, was renamed to reflect NIU’s commitment to access for, and inclusion of, students with disabilities.

In addition to the new name, there are some new faces within the DRC.

Randall Ward has been hired as acting director of the Disability Resource Center, and Megan Herbig has been hired as the testing coordinator.

Ward brings with him a social justice perspective for working collaboratively with students, faculty and staff. Herbig, an intern in the center last spring, brings with her a commitment to further the collaboration between academic departments and the DRC to decrease testing barriers for students with disabilities.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to visit the center, incorporate the new department name on websites and resource materials and continue to refer students to the center as has been done in the past. The new DRC website is www.niu.edu/disability/ and the new DRC email is drc@niu.edu. The phone number remains (815) 753-1303.

Students are also encouraged to visit the center and make an appointment to meet with Herbig or Ward to learn more about the role of the testing coordinator and about additional resources available through the DRC.