Kentucky Kernel: November 27, 1996

<body bgcolor=#ffffff link=#0064DC alink=#0064DC><blockquote> <center><h2>Campus Impression</h2></center> <font size=+2>Sheila Tipton - Working for disabled students</font><p> <br><font size=+1><b>By Rodman P. Botkins</b></font><br>Staff Writer <hr>When Sheila Tipton saw that disabled students could no longer get onto the Administration Lawn following the Clintons' visit, she e-mailed the president.<p> Everyone who knows Tipton comments on her upbeat personality and optimism.But when it comes to advocating for disabled students, she doesn't kid around. <p> "It's awful for the disabled to get around in Lexington. I want to advocate on the behalf of people ... with disabilities. I want to incorporate that into my job," Tipton said. <p> Tipton, a Louisville native and a junior at UK, is majoring in social work. <p> "I want to go into my master's and I want to get my art therapy license. At some point I want to do clinical work," Tipton said. <p> Tipton, 25, is also an accomplished artist. She graduated from Prestonsburg Community College with an associate degree in art in 1994. She and another artist teamed up on a collage that was sold in an auction to benefit the Dream Factory, an organization that makes the dreams of terminally ill children come true. <p> Tipton most enjoys sculpting. However, she places higher priority on helping others and on social work classes now. <p> She's busy making campus a better place for the disabled. <p> For example, Tipton is the facilitator on the personal care attendant committee at UK. <p> "The committee is designed ... for the students and the attendants, so we can voice our opinions and try to make it better," Tipton said. <p> Tipton is also working to help bring to campus an Athena Club, an organization for disabled students. <p> While UK has better access than most universities, some areas still need improving. <p> "There's a lot of things UK needs to do in order to be more accessible. They're pretty much more accessible ... than a lot of other places," Tipton said. "But there's a lot more that can be done that's not done." <p> Among those, Tipton cites the Margaret I. King Library as the most difficult place for disabled students to navigate. <p> But the bumpy sidewalks of Central Campus also need work. <p> "The sidewalk in front of POT is awful. Especially when you're on wheels going across there. You fall in those potholes," Tipton said. <p> Elevator button panels in many buildings are too high for some disabled students to reach. <p> In addition, some elevators are too small to accommodate scooters. <p> Tipton said LexTran bus drivers lack the training to deal with the disabled - especially when it comes to operating the lifts. <p> Even though Tipton sometimes stirs up controversy advocating for disabled students, UK doesn't hold grudges. <p> "All the faculty is super nice to me," Tipton said. <p> Soon Tipton will search for a master's degree program in social work that specializes in art therapy. <p> When looking at programs, she considers a school's facilities for disabled students. <p> "When I think about a school, for me, I think about more than just the program." <p> Tipton, like the students she advocates for, is disabled. <p> She has cerebral palsy. But it doesn't slow her down very much. <p> For example, she hasn't yet received a response from President Clinton. But she isn't discouraged. <p> <hr> <center><font size=+2> | <a href="front.html">Contents</a> | <a href="http://www.kykernel.com/">Home</a> | <a href="archive.html">Archives</a> | <a href="feed.html">Feedback</a> | </font><br> <b>© Copyright 1996, Kernel Press Inc. All Rights Reserved</b> </blockquote> </body>