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Pictured, from left, are DRC Office Manager Angie LaFrance, DRC Director Tara Buchannan, WCICIL Outreach Coordinator Dustin Gorder, DRC Learning Specialist Gretchen Steil Weiss and WCICIL Director Dan Stupavsky.
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DRC Honored as Accessible Entity of the Year

May 26, 2015

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MACOMB, IL – The Disability Resource Center (DRC) at Western Illinois University was named the Accessible Entity of the Year Award Friday, May 22, through the West Central Illinois Center for Independent Living.

The award is given each year to a service provider that goes above and beyond in providing exemplary service to people with disabilities.

"We consider this the highest honor because it is awarded by the quintessential disability advocacy group, the Center for Independent Living," said DRC Director Tara Buchannan.

In her acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Buchannan told the audience that the DRC began a "journey" in 2008, after recognizing that " in order to move closer to our goal of equal access for students with disabilities, we needed to expand beyond minimal legal compliance, which meant making some fundamental changes to the way we were doing business."

Buchannan also thanked her staff, DRC Learning Specialist Gretchen Steil Weiss and Office Manager Angela LaFrance, as well as the office's student workers for their work and their support of the DRC's mission.

The DRC helps provide campus accommodations for WIU students and works to introduce Universal Design, or human-centered design, which Buchannan said creates an "inclusive, equitable and sustainable" environment that is welcoming to a diverse population.

DRC staff also participates in 13 campus and community committees, President's ADA Advisory Committee and the Master Planning Committee, to encourage inclusive design and accessibility.

This fall, the DRC will also implement a redesigned disability awareness program to educate the community regarding the social construct of disability, social justice and the power of design.

For more information about the DRC, visit wiu.edu/drc.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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