Sighted Guides Are Still “In the Works” at CSUF Disability Support Services

Cal State Fullerton’s Disability Support Services (DSS) does not yet have an outreach program or provide sighted guides to visually impaired students, but these projects are “in the works,” according to Samantha Cruz, DSS student services specialist.

According to Cal State Fullerton’s division of student affair’s annual report of 2022-2023, over 4,500 DSS student testing appointments were held. With the annual report showing that there were about 41,700 students on campus for the academic year, this means that nearly 11% of the student population applied for these services. When this is compared to the annual report of 2021-2022 the rate of DSS applicants has risen by nearly 4% in just one year.

On the DSS website, students have a three-step application process, where they must, “submit a DSS application for accommodations, provide supporting information or documentation [and] attend DSS new student appointment.”

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The DSS Accommodations Glossary lists services offered by DSS such as, “accessible furniture, extended deadlines, medical absence, short breaks, notetaking accommodations, testing accommodations, accessible format and alternative media and housing accommodations.”

While this range of accommodations does cater to some students, according to the DSS, they currently do not offer any sighted guides to assist visually impaired students.

One individual who has shared their experience applying for DSS and not receiving these accommodations is freshman, Jude Vega. Vega says,

While Vega was in need of certain accommodations immediately, the DSS application process caused her to fall behind. She says,

This is furthered by the fact that after the application process was completed, Vega says that the DSS, “can’t offer anything when it comes to navigating.”

So, while Vega was able to receive, “a few good accommodations,” she says, “I am basically on my own for that.”

This lack of assistance led Vega to rely, “on other students in the halls,” she says, “if I could locate someone to stop and ask for help, I would try.”

While Vega mentioned that she has met multiple, “helpful students to assist,” she is often placed in, “potentially dangerous situations,” she says.

Vega says that she hopes the DSS starts, “getting students more familiar with the process, as I was very lost, and just didn’t know what to do.”

She further explains that while, “the staff at DSS is very helpful, a lot is on you,” she says, “it’s a thing you have to do on your own.”

This year, the DSS did create a new position for a team member assigned to, “develop new ways of reaching out to high school students, community college students, and students on campus,” according to Samantha Cruz.

“So as of right now no, we do not have an outreach program,” says Cruz, “but that is in the works already.”

She also explains that while there are currently no sighted guides on campus for visually impaired students, “that is something that is currently being worked on at the moment.”

The DSS is also, “taking things in also from students who have that type of disability so that we can get it from their perspective as well,” says Cruz.

Cruz explains that the DSS team is “given what we need for the semester to do what we have to do,” she says, “but what we really need is that, and, so that we can do outreach, so that we can do promoting.”

Cruz hopes that that the DSS funding expands so students on campus in need of accommodations, “can feel more comfortable, so they can feel like everything is accessible to them,” she says.