Las Positas College is known for fostering an inclusive environment. Most in the LPC community assume its diversity programs are sufficient and never bother to scrutinize them. While it’s true that LPC has numerous resources and accommodations for students with disabilities in the classroom, accessibility outside the classroom is a different story.
The LPC Disabled Student Program and Services (DSPS) allows students with disabilities to walk in and receive accommodations to assist with in-class learning. Accommodations include note-taking tools for blind or deaf students as well as extra time on tests. The latter is particularly popular among students with ADHD, according to counselor Amanda Castelli.
Students without documented disabilities can still access temporary accommodations, and may meet with Castelli for a diagnosis and documentation.
“When I first started here, the application process was through PDF, paper-pencil application, emailing, getting the paperwork together, sending in emails and then meeting with a counselor,” said Christopher Crone, who has been the DSPS director since 2021. “We have streamlined all of that. We’ve really tried hard to remove barriers of students applying.”
While accessibility in Las Positas classrooms has definitely improved over the years, issues remain outside of the classroom. LPC is situated on a hill, which may only be annoying for students without disabilities. But for students who rely on the use of mobility aids, it’s a nightmare. However, this isn’t the responsibility of DSPS to fix — their role is to accommodate disabilities for students only within the classroom.
“Students who have a physical or mobile disability still have to be able to get to class, right?” Crone said. “But we’re not able to provide a wheelchair, or someone to push a wheelchair, for example. Those are services that might be under (an) IBA (International Behavior Analyst) and K-12, but it’s not something that we have.”
Las Positas should be doing more to assist students with mobility issues around campus. There are talks of buying a mobility cart. But frankly, Las Positas should already have one. The campus is on a hill — it’s an unnecessary, daily struggle for students with disabilities.
This is an issue that should be pursued with more effort and care than it has been. Las Positas College, the city of Livermore and district at large must answer for this neglect.
“Las Positas, just like Livermore in general, is not known as a particularly accessible area,” said part-time professor Bradley Bettridge, who is blind. “I talk to a lot of students who are low-vision or have accessibility issues. This affects people in wheelchairs, this affects people with other disabilities. And at Las Positas, there just aren’t options for people experiencing that kind of challenge”.
Livermore is not known for having great transportation — colleges lacking the requirements for transportation services that K-12 schools have is just another issue piled on a mountain of problems. It’s time for Las Positas — and the city of Livermore — to start doing more for its mobility impaired students and faculty.
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TOP PHOTO: While the school offers plenty support for students with disabilities in the classroom, it’s a different story outside. (Illustration by Aaliyah Gholamipour/The Express)
Nuha Maflahi is the Campus Life Editor for The Express. Follow her on X @NuhaMaflahiLPC
