New Era Dawns for UK Disability Resource Center

[youtube]

Video Produced by UK Public Relations & Marketing. To view captions for this video, push play and click on the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.  If using a mobile device, click on the "thought bubble" in the same area.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 3, 2015) — It’s been more than 44 years since Jake Karnes moved into an empty office — just days after receiving his master’s degree in communications from the University of Kentucky — to launch his alma mater’s new initiative to serve the needs of its disabled students.

"I honestly had only two qualifications when I got the job — a knowledge of the campus and my volunteer work with the UK Human Relations Center. I was starting below the ground floor. I had no idea what was expected of me or the office. I’m not sure they did either," said Karnes, retiring director of the UK Disability Resource Center.

In 1970, that wasn’t unusual. Very few universities at the time supported an office to serve the special needs of disabled students. It would be another three years before President Richard Nixon signed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. That legislation included Section 504, which created and extended civil rights to people with disabilities, focusing on inclusion via accessability in education and employment. 

That law changed America’s landscape. With few exceptions, there were no ramps, no reserved parking, no dips in sidewalk curbs before 1970. One of Karnes’ favorite keepsakes — he has more than his share — is a picture of a very young Karnes behind the wheelchair of a student on UK’s very first accessible ramp.

This summer, everything changes again for UK's and (some will say the entire state’s) services for the disabled. Karnes will retire from the office he conceived, built and nurtured. And, the reins of UK’s Disability Resource Center (DRC) will be passed to its new director, David T. Beach. Beach will take control of a thriving and vital student service in a new, expanded facility, but not without a deep bow to his predecessor first.

"Jake is a legend, simple as that, at UK and in the state. He was here before everything started; he got everything started. He took a concept people barely understood at the time and created one of the best programs in the state. And he did it all with compassion, understanding, heart and strength," said Beach, who joined the staff in March so that he could "learn from the best" before Karnes’ retirement. Beach resigned from the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to take the UK post, but he was no stranger to UK. For several years, he has been an adjunct faculty member in early childhood education and rehabilitation counseling for the UK College of Education.  

"It’s intimidating taking over for a legend, especially one who is so well known and respected," said Beach. "I feel like Joe B. Hall must have felt taking over the coaching of the UK basketball team after Adolf Rupp retired. As corny as it sounds, I simply hope to honor what he has already achieved. It's a little intimidating, but the thing I know about Jake is that if I ever have a question, he's only a phone call away. I know Jake, and he will continue to be the constant advocate for our students he has always been."

Beach has extensive plans for the UK Disability Resource Center, but first on the agenda is moving from the Alumni Gym to escape demolition and construction clutter from the nearby Student Center. Karnes and Beach worked side by side last week, packing, carrying and unpacking box after box after box between the old Alumni Gym offices to the new offices in the Multidisciplinary Science Building on Rose Street, near the UK College of Nursing. The new space will have more than twice the square footage the Alumni Gym site offered, from about 3,200 square feet to 6,900. The office serves about 1,400 students with a full range of disabilities.

"It's a large expansion of space, and now we will have much more room and much better facilities that have actually been designed for the efficient use of our resources," Beach said.

In addition to the physical upgrade, Beach will invest in expanded and enhanced social media-based services for students.

"We will be doing more outreach through Facebook and Twitter, as well as upgrading our webpage so that it is more in line with our students’ needs. This will also make it easier for students that want to communicate with other students with disabilities," he said.

The new offices will include a planned assistive technology lab with adaptive equipment and furnishings so that students can learn what works best for them, as well as additional and more efficient testing and learning centers. Existing services will continue to be enhanced, including the case management system for access to services and computerized scheduling.

"In the design of the facility," said Beach, "we strove to be the model of accessibility in terms of 'not the floor, but the ceiling.' The Americans with Disabilities Act sets the bar, but we wanted to show that we could ratchet up the accessibility a little higher. We want to provide an environment where lots of students with different types of disabilities can perform to their maximum ability."

Beach also wants to "bring the city" to UK, connecting Lexington’s opportunities and resources to campus for students, including adaptive recreation, workshops and training as well as employment and internship opportunities. In turn, he will give back to the city through expanded high school programs and interactions to help students better transition to college.

Karnes is convinced UK could not have chosen a better new leader for the UK Disabilities Resource Center. "We've been working together here since March 1st, so that there's not going to be a hitch in how we do things. He's got creative ideas on how to really move the Disability Resource Center to the next level. We've got a new director who's got fresh ideas and new energy; we have facilities that are brand new. I can hardly wait to come back in five years to see all the improvements."

MEDIA CONTACT: Gail Hairston, 859-257-3302, gail.hairston@uky.edu