December 4, 2002

Present:
Warren, Virginia (new member), Robert (new member), Victor, Els, Joe, Joan, Jack, Brian, Mike E, Sam, Mike Chmura (new member), Carole, Anna (minutes), with refreshments provided by Warren Clark and the School of Social Work.

Action items for last or next meeting are asterisked thrice***.

Remarks from the Chair:
Jack announced that we will review action items from our last meeting per our new strategy of Action Plans.

Els amended last month's minutes re: Joel Seguin of UM Information/News Service. Els had contacted him re: UMinDS, but he shifted the press releases/promotion for programs back to her. She will contact him again, perhaps asking him to join our meeting in May after Strategic Review Plan has been put into motion, so that he understands the reasons for our needing his help with future publicity.

*** We should, as Jack Novodoff suggested last meeting, get the names of all CfDC members on our web site. Brian will take charge of this. Brian will be teaching a graduate class on disabilities and using our specially crafted language re: disabilities for his syllabus.

*** Joe will continue to look into finding a liaison at the Business School (or Public Policy or Social Work, failing that). Joe will contact Shelly to recommend a faculty member (Lori had faculty sponsor through Shelly).

*** Jack contacted the VP for Development, Cynthia Wilbanks, re: funding for CfDC, saying that we need $25K/yearly or an endowment of $250K, and she was enthusiastic and will pursue two tracks: individual and business donors. She will also track students through Student Affairs to check for those interested in disability issues.

*** Christine (as per Joan) contacted Eric (blind Everest climber) but he charges $30k per speech.

*** Discussion of moving next meeting from 9 to 12--1:30, which would be more accessible for members of Strategic Review Team. This will occur for our January 8th meeting. Discussion of whether we should meet at Social Work or possibly Fleming Building--still to be decided. Question of whether Warren can still provide the refreshments or whether we should bring our own.

*** Strategic Planning Team (Joe and Els) will have time for discussion incorporated into next month's meeting.

*** Jack to try to work with SACUA to change language in all course syllabi.

(Seven of eleven action items from last meeting have been completed.)

Sam reported that he had spoken to Royster-Harper for a tour of adaptive technology sites. Discussion of meeting with President for 30 minutes to exchange ideas, depending on her availability. We could open dates of first Wednesday in any month from either 9 am or 12 pm, starting in February.

Jack reported on a very nice phone call from Tobin Siebers apologizing for not giving due credit to CfDC (Sam received call, too) at early events, which was rectified at later UMinDS events.

Comments were made about how UMinDS did very well this year with variety, educational aspects, recognition.

Introductions around the table, since there are several new members. Welcome, new members!!!

Mike Harris of MPVA not present, so that presentation was deferred (or else cancelled).

Webpage:
*** Discussion of freshening up the CfDC webpage, which has to be done periodically. Michelle volunteered to keep it current. Jack will send message to all CfDC members asking if they want to "opt in," and whether this is for membership or just email. Contact points (where people work) should be included. Brian maintains the account with Jack and Jim, as well.

*** Discussion of a virtual suggestion box on web site for access concerns, which would be sent only to Sam.

*** Shelly's intern might be able to update the little yellow book on disabilities. Carole will work with Shelly on this activity. Discussion of not just collecting data but also doing something with it. Sam mentioned very slow process of getting things accomplished with ADA funding. We might also check how quickly Google search brings up CfDC.

*** Discussion of accessibility map--maybe another project for an intern? Brian will investigate who is handling and/or updating.

*** We should have a list of CfDC accomplishments and include minutes of meetings. We should have links to brochures (ergonomics, psychiatric disability), UMinDS, Dialogs on Diversity (contact Pat).

*** Joan mentioned "Read my Lips" by Ellie S., being on CD. She will look into this.

*** Our web site should be Bobby-compliant, ahead of all others, making all of first compliance list and some of second. Mike E will help with this and Jack will contact James Hilton if need be.

*** FOR NEXT MEETING, WE SHOULD ALL LOOK AT OUR WEB SITE, JACK SAYS.

Assistave Technologies Conference:
http://www.colorado.edu/sacs/ATconference

Mike E. reported on the conference he had attended "Accessing Higher Ground," which was held at Boulder and consisted of some 200 participants, just a good number. Mike is also doing projects here at UM, for which he is looking for support/funding: 1) Surveying web sites using Bobby standards; and 2) Checking Google for topics of disability/accessibility. Two other projects have been passed along to others (e.g., SSD survey) for completion.

Strategic Planning:
Discussion by Joe and Els about timeline and overview with handout passed out to show expectations of CfDC members. Sam praised outline saying that it covered essentials, omitting extraneous. Joe talked through process, describing components and pragmatic month-by-month breakdown. Feedback needed from CfDC members via informal interviews of 20 mins-1 hour, either by phone or face-to-face; also of anyone else interested in disability issues, starting at inner circle and working outward.IRB not needed but interviews will be conducted according to traditional academic standards.

Goals for interviews:
1) Where people see UM as community in 10 years--dreaming.
2) What are the objectives that lead to that vision.
3) Which specific objectives are individuals willing to commit to in next year or so.

Purpose:
Reinvigorate CfDC, give members concrete issues to focus on and resources and community assets to think about; find out who else we should be talking to (additional stakeholders); and share information about visions, objectives.

Mike E suggested meeting with Administration, including President, to get their perceptions of needs and to raise CfDC visibility, making allies of them and developing strategic relationships. Objection that President does not yet have a context for CfDC, although Provost does. Discussion that it would be good for our group to speak to President to guide her thinking and to identify needs and opportunities for CfDC and various sources at UM.

Idea behind Strategic Plan is to gain information, organize, develop concrete plans by folding in objectives and available resources and then make accessible to all. The final document will be concrete, specific with attainable items to raise consciousness re: disabilities and accessibility issues, as well as revigorating those outside the central core. Discussion of models used for strategic planning (small business consultant).

Carole mentioned that history of CfDC should be included (how, when, where, who) and how it got to this point, which is helpful for team members to know in order to provide credibility within UM. Discussion of the sense of mission, expectations, and vision realization per 5 year report, 10 year report and Els's report.

Jack mentioned that the Council has reinvented itself, promoted changes and discovered that some of the major obstacles had disappeared.

We will schedule time in future meetings to discuss the Strategic Plan, and in April we will have an extra meeting to present its results to CfDC members.

Respectfully submitted.../aes

P.S. I know that I omitted the name of a new member, a recent SI grad, but I couldn't find it in the x500 (maybe I misheard), so my apologies and I'll get it right next time!

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