University of California, Berkeley. Disabled Students' Program

The Disabled Students' Program (DSP) at the University of California, Berkeley, is a pioneering organization that enables disabled students to gain a college education that would otherwise not be available to them. The first severely disabled student, Ed Roberts, was admitted to the University in 1962. By 1969, fourteen disabled students lived in Cowell Hospital, the UCB hospital outfitted specifically for their accommodations. These students, led by Ed Roberts, organized The Rolling Quads, a protest group demanding rights for the disabled. In 1970, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare provided a grant to fund the DSP Program at UCB. The Center for Independent Living was established to teach physically disabled students how to transition from home care to independent living, incorporating social learning and peer support with academics. In 1975 a permanent residence program was created in campus dormitories and a job placement specialist was hired. In 1978, deaf services were added to the program. By 1982 PDSP (Physically Disabled Students' Program) included services for students with learning and psychological disabilities. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s until the present, the Disabled Students' Program has continually provided services, advocacy and support for students with disabilities.

From the description of Disabled Students' Program records, 1964-2002. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 51787410

Organizational Chronology

• 1956: The Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Student Health Services Program is set up for the physically disabled at the University of California, Berkeley. Edward V. Roberts, the first student with a severe mobility impairment to live on campus moves into Cowell Memorial Hospital and begins his studies.
• 1963: Following Roberts's successful first year, the University admits John Hessler, the second student with a severe mobility impairment to live at Cowell Hospital.
• 1967: Seven severely physically disabled students are living in Cowell Hospital as of October. Carl J. Ross, Cowell Hospital administrator, proposes a program to serve ten to twelve disabled students.
• 1968: The Cowell Residence Program is funded by the California Dept. of Rehabilitation (DR). Roberts becomes a part-time assistant on disability to the Dean of Students.
• 1969: Conflicts with the DR staff become the impetus for the organization of a student self- advocacy group for those living in Cowell Hospital, named the Rolling Quads. The Rolling Quads write a proposal for a grant from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) for the fiscal year 1970-1971, to fund a physically disabled Students' program. Students who lived at Cowell begin to move into their own apartments off campus. The Rolling Quads propose a community halfway house residence program for students attending UC Berkeley. [The "halfway house" was never established.]
• 1970: In the spring quarter, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) at Berkeley vote to supplement HEW funding for a program for students with disabilities, with a fee of 25 cents to be paid by every student at UC Berkeley for each academic quarter, as part of registration. The money is made available in June 1970. HEW grants $81,000 to start the Physically Disabled Students' Program (PDSP) in July. Hessler, Michael Fuss, Chuck Grimes, and Zona Roberts (Ed Roberts' mother) set up the first office in an apartment at 2532 Durant Avenue in Berkeley. John Hessler is the first director. Initially, PDSP serves 17 clients.
• 1972: The Center for Independent Living (CIL) is incorporated off campus. CIL is a Berkeley community service agency for persons with disabilities, modeled on PDSP.
• 1973: The Disabled Students' Union is formed.
• 1974: A job development specialist position is proposed for disabled students and alumni. The Coordinating Committee for the Removal of Architectural Barriers (CCRAB) is established to resolve access problems on the UC Berkeley campus. A dormitory residence pilot program is set up for students with disabilities. Initially it has 5 rooms in Putnam Hall in the Unit One of the student dormitory complex.
• 1975: Susan O'Hara begins as head of the PDSP Residence Program (serves until 1988). The residence pilot program is successful. The permanent PDSP Residence Program consists of 16 rooms in the Unit Two dorm complex staffed 24 hours a day by paid attendants. The Cowell Hospital Residence Program is closed. California Governor Jerry Brown appoints Ed Roberts Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation. John Hessler leaves the directorship of PDSP to become Deputy Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation. Don Lorence assumes the directorship of PDSP. DR funds a Job Placement Specialist at the University Career Planning Office. Betty Bacon is the first specialist.
• 1977: Zona Roberts resigns from DSP.
• 1978: PDSP establishes Deaf Services. After a program audit of DSP led by UC Berkeley professor William K. (Sandy) Muir, the University establishes the Chancellor's Physically Disabled Students' Program Advisory Board, which consists of the combination of the old Residence Hall Advisory Board and the Disabled Students Advisory Board.
• 1979: Don Lorence leaves the directorship of PDSP. Sharon Bonney is hired as the new director. PDSP moves to 2515 Channing Way. It now serves 254 students.
• 1982: PDSP changes its name to the Disabled Students' Program (DSP) to include students with learning disabilities.
• 1987: Sharon Bonney leaves the directorship of DSP. A twenty-fifth anniversary survey shows 157 former residents of the program have an average salary of $32,224 in a variety of career fields.
• 1988: Susan O'Hara, the Residence Program director, becomes director of DSP. Bill Blanchard takes over as Residence Program director. Stephen Hawking, world renowned physicist with Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ALS), visits the UC Berkeley campus. DSP hosts a barbeque in his honor.
• 1990: DSP moves from Channing Way to the Cesar Chavez Student Center on campus.
• 1992: Thirty years after Ed Roberts moves into Cowell Memorial Hospital, DSP serves 800 disabled students at UC Berkeley. Susan O'Hara retires as director. Lynn Bailiff becomes the director.
• 1997: Lynn Bailiff retires. Ed Rodgers is hired as the new director.

From the guide to the Disabled Students' Program Records, 1965, (The Bancroft Library)