Oregon State University, Corvalis is in the process of violating both the Federal and State American's With Disabilities Act (ADA) and denying me, a seventy-nine year old woman with multiple disabilities my legal rights. I was told by the VITA program in Eugene which filed an IRS extension form for me last week that I would have to find a form which I was missing at the time and then go to their Corvallis office to complete the process of filing with the IRS. (They were correct. I was missing the form and the Eugene office was closing before I could return there.) I was given a pile of paper work to take to Corvallis, and we discussed that I could go to Corvallis any day before the extension deadline, by appointment. We discussed my legal status as a multi-disabled senior. I returned home, found the missing form, and (as instructed) called the number the Eugene office had given me in Corvallis. The answering machine directed me to an on-line appointment schedule. I accessed the schedule. No appointments were available. I called the same number the morning of the next day. My call was not returned. No appointments were available on-line. I left messages and my phone calls were not returned that day. The next day I accessed the schedule. Only evening appointments were available. I cannot drive at night, due to disabilities, and have nobody who can drive me. I called the Dean's office of the School of Business and was given two email addresses to contact. I double checked the email addresses with that person and then mailed emails explaining my problem and asking them to return my call. Both emails came back as not currently working. I tried to look up the phone number of the program's supervisor. No phone number was on the web site. I found a third email address on the web site and wrote to it (look at the site and you can see it yourself) and that email was also returned as not deliverable. Finally, a message was left on my answering machine that did not address the issue but invited me to call back. I did. I was told that no daytime appointments, any day or any day time hours existed and that I could not be accommodated. I explained that under both Federal and State ADA laws, a "reasonable accommodation" was to be made for disabled people and that I am entitled to such. The person to whom I spoke said she would check with her supervisor. I told the person to have the coordinator call the legal office of the University which would explain the University's legal obligation for "reasonable accommodation" under the law. Instead, the next day the coordinator called and again refused an accommodation. She was hostile, would not let me even explain one third of the problem and said that because she was a volunteer, she did not have to listen to me. She SLAMMED THE PHONE ON ME. She felt that the Law does not apply to OSU or to the program or to her as a volunteer and that she did not have to listen to my complaint and request. I was never even allowed to explain the problem fully! I have a call in to the Provost's office and am waiting for a returned phone call. The VITA program is under the School of Business. The conduct of this coordinator on the phone was both illegal and obnoxious. If the University refuses to give me a daytime appointment (10 am to 4 pm) they are in violation of ADA Law. I will take them to Court pro-per. I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THE UNIVERSITY SAY THAT THERE IS NOT ONE PERSON IN THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WHO CAN MAKE TIME FOR A QUICK APPOINTMENT IN WHICH I GIVE THEM THE FULL PAPERWORK (ALREADY ALL BUT COMPLETED ON THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM) DURING ANY DAY.
WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW FOR DISABLED PERSONS IF MAJOR UNIVERSITIES DO NOT INSTRUCT THEIR WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT THE LAW EXISTS AND IS ENTITLED TO ENFORCEMENT. read more