Office for Equal Opportunity
North Carolina
State University

Location & Hours
1 Holladay Hall
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday

Mailing Address
Campus Box 7530
Raleigh, NC
27695-7530

Phone Numbers
Main: 919-515-3148
Fax: 919-513-1428
TTY: 919-515-9617

Equal_Op - March, 2002, Volume 2, #3

Disability Services for Students Hires Sign Language Interpreter

Prior to the 1960's, few students who were deaf attended college. Those who qualified could attend Galludet University in Washington, DC, which at the time was the only college in which instructors were proficient in sign language, or they could attend a "regular" college. Attending a regular college often meant attending with virtually no prospect of interpreting services. Often, the quality of the education received by students with deafness who chose to attend regular colleges was based on their ability to lip-read their instructors, the charity of their peers in sharing notes, and their own level of tenacity.

In 1964, the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (RID) was established. This is when interpreting began to emerge as a profession. The development of college-based interpreter education programs augmented and provided a professional pool for potential college employment. Without the availability of well-qualified interpreters, the dramatic increase in numbers of students with deafness in regular colleges could not have occurred. Today, more than 20,000 students with deafness or hearing impairments attend approximately 2,000 two and four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. Most of the estimated 10,000 students with deafness, and many with severe hearing impairments, use an interpreter in their classes, in selected campus activities, or both (Sanderson, Siple, and Lyons, Interpreting for Postsecondary Deaf Students: A Report of the National Task Force on the Quality of Services in the Postsecondary Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, Northeast Technical Assistance Center, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 1999.)

The role of the interpreter within the postsecondary setting is to facilitate communication between individuals with hearing and individuals with deafness throughout the educational environment, both academically and extracurricularly. This link plays a major role in the success of most college students who are deaf. To facilitate the communication in the academic environment for the twenty students here at NC State who have identified themselves as deaf or hearing-impaired, the office of Disability Services for Students (DSS) hired Kevin Kemplin as its own staff sign language interpreter. He will interpret between English and sign language, listening to the spoken English of the instructor and other students and signing to the student with deafness. If scheduling permits, Kevin may be available for hire to groups on campus in need of an interpreter. Prior to this hiring, DSS had to contract out all interpreting services to area sign language interpreting companies. The addition of this staff member will allow DSS to provide more consistent, professional, and quality interpreting services at savings to the University.

A-Prompt: Free Software to Aid Web Developers in Making Accessible Websites

There are a growing number of software tools available to help web developers create accessible sites. One of the first available and still among the best is A-Prompt. A-Prompt is a free Windows software application that allows developers to 'wizard' over pages they have created and assess and fix problems as they go. When A-Prompt detects a problem, it prompts the user and guides her or him through the fix. It also has a number of automated fixes that speed up the process of repair. Additionally. users can customize A-Prompt's features for different levels of conformance with both the Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines and the Federal Section 508 Standards. A-Prompt was collaboratively developed by the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto and the TRACE Center at the University of Wisconsin, two excellent resources to turn to for information and research regarding accessibility and usability in information technology.

For more information about A-Prompt, or to download a free copy, see the A-Prompt website. More information about Web Accessibility and NC State's efforts can be found at Accessible Web Design. You may also refer to the article "Making Your Web Pages Accessible to All" in the August, 2001 issue of Equal_Op.

Faculty Salaries Studied for Equity

Despite the 1963 Equal Pay Act, which requires equal pay for equal work, the Department of Labor reports that, on average, females make approximately 75 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts make for doing the same job, despite having similar credentials. Using Fall, 2000 data, the Office for Equal Opportunity worked with a consultant to study the magnitude of pay disparity among the University's faculty. Among the 1,581 salaries studied, it was discovered that women professors and minority male professors are paid annually an average of $1,000 and $2,000 less, respectively, than their non-minority, male counterparts. Therefore, Chancellor Fox and Provost Cooper dedicated tuition-increase funds to salary adjustments for female and minority male professors who were identified as underpaid. Provost Cooper said, "We are strong believers in encouraging diversity and equal opportunity for all our faculty and staff. This is an example of how we have acted on those beliefs."

In their November, 2001 paychecks, 371 female professors and 134 minority male professors received equity adjustments, The salary equity study is one component of the University's comprehensive compensation plan that has been developed and implemented over the last three years. Having a specific and transparent salary strategy is a recognized necessity for achieving equitable pay for all, regardless of race, gender, or any other protected class. The Office for Equal Opportunity will continue to monitor the University's progress in eliminating salary and other inequities. To read the executive summary of the study, see the North Carolina Report on the University-Wide Salary Equity Study.

ADA Advisory Committee

The ADA Advisory Committee (ADAAC) was created in October of 1999 after being approved by the University Council. The primary purpose of the committee is to ensure input from the campus community regarding disability issues on campus and communicate those to the ADA Coordinator. The representation on the committee includes students, staff, and faculty from various departments, Senates, and organizations on campus. A list of members on the committee and other related information can be viewed at ADA Advisory Committee.

One of the recommendations from the ADAAC in 2001 was to establish the ADA Hotline. The Hotline provides an opportunity for the University community to submit disability or accessibility issues related to NC State facilities, programs, services, and benefits via a new email address, ADAHotline@ncsu.edu. OEO staff responds to the submissions and shares them with the appropriate departments.

Staff Spotlight: Sheri Plenert

Sheri Plenert has been with the Office for Equal Opportunity since May, 1995. Coming to Raleigh from the University of Kansas (BA, Psychology, 1994), she started in OEO as a graduate student completing the practicum requirement for her Master's degree in Counselor Education from NC State. In 1997, upon completion of her degree, she was hired first as the Program Coordinator, then advanced to Assistant Equal Opportunity Officer and Coordinator of Employment Programs. In that capacity, Sheri has created a search committee orientation program and video-based training; facilitated the faculty salary equity study; greatly expanded the EPA Hiring Procedures Manual and created the web version; developed the University's Mediation Program, advanced the exit interview program, and led numerous training sessions and lectures on the issues of equal opportunity, affirmative action, and harassment prevention. In October, 2001, she was named Assistant Vice Provost.

Outside of work, Sheri is active in the Raleigh Jaycees. Her favorite pastimes are playing volleyball, running, cooking for friends, movies, traveling, and playing with her dog, Millie, a 2-year-old Pit Bull. While a fan of NC State, those who have been to Sheri's office know her loyalties lie with the KU Jayhawks. Feel free to join her in the Rock Chalk chant the next time you see her!

Highlight Program: Take Our Daughters to Work Day

Take Our Daughters to Work Day (TODTWD) will be held on April 25, 2002. The goal of this event is to provide opportunities for boosting the self-esteem and self-confidence of girls between the ages of 9-15 and to expose them to different opportunities in the business world and to non-traditional careers.

The national TODTWD website, sponsored by the Ms. Foundation for Women, shares the following:

What's this day about?

Most girls exhibit a strong and distinct sense of self-confidence -- until about age 11. You probably know a girl who could be described the way a New York Times Magazine cover story put it: "confident at 11, confused at 16."

In the early 1990's, research on girls detailed the radical and distressing shift that often occurs in the lives of girls in early adolescence. As adolescence begins, girls show a significant drop in self-esteem, report a lowered sense of self-worth, and describe intense feelings of insecurity about their own judgment and emotions. Focusing on appearance and how boys view them prevents many girls from competing with or in front of boys at school -- just when girls need to start planning for the future.

The Ms. Foundation for Women created Take or Daughters to Work Day so we could help girls stay strong and remain confident. By encouraging adults to take their daughters and other girls in their lives to work with them for the day -- and asking employers to design activities focused on building girls' self-esteem -- the Ms. Foundation calls attention to the importance of keeping girls healthy, strong, and confident through their teenage years and into adulthood.

We encourage NC State faculty and staff to begin thinking about both events they may sponsor for our campus program and girls they might bring to work with them. The campus planning committee has already begun to meet to create a productive day. Look for more details in March, 2002 and see the NC state TODTWD website for more information.

Programming Notes: Upcoming Programs

Protected Class Series

• The Protected Class of Sex
  March 20, 2002, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Brown Room, Talley Student Center

• The Protected Class of Veteran Status
  March 28, 2002, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Brown Room, Talley Student Center

• The Protected Class of Race and Color
  April 17, 2002, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Brown Room, Talley Student Center

Learn more and register online.

The following courses are offered through Learning Technology Services (LTS):

Accessible and ADA-Compliant Web Design

• March 4, 2002, 1:00 - 3:30 pm
• April 4, 2002, 1:00 - 3:30 pm

NEW: Retrofixing: Using A-Prompt and Other Tools to Improve the Accessibility of Your Website

• March 25, 2002, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
• April 11, 2002, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
• May 7, 2002, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

See the LTS website for more information.

Also, see the Information Technology website for their course schedule and information.

Challenge Question

What do the letters EEOC stand for?

Answer: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. To learn more about this organization, see the EEOC website.

If you have questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact Beverly Jones Williams at 919-513-3836 or by email.