The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Local disability forum looks ahead to the future By Justin Berton Like most young boys who grew up following the San Francisco Giants, Michael Lee dreamt of one day playing among his heroes in the big leagues. He imagined himself digging into the batters' box inside a packed Candlestick Park, eyeing down a fastball, and smacking the hell out of it for a home run. But that dream faded at age 13 when Lee's family was involved in a car accident that left him blind. Despite his loss of vision, the dream became a reality last year, more than 20 years later. Lee plays Beep Ball--a game of baseball for blind participants, using a 16-inch ball with a sounding device that beeps from the inside. Several teams play the game throughout the United States. After Lee's team became Beep Ball World Champions, they returned to San Francisco and received a challenge from the Giants. Before a game against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, with no less than 20,000 fans in the stands, Lee made his appearance at the plate. To level the playing field, the Giants' players wore blindfolds. Telling his story before 200 people at a forum on services for people with disabilities at De Anza Community College last week, Lee put the room in stitches with this punch line: "You thought the A's were stinky last year? You should have seen the Giants playing that game." The countywide forum is fast becoming the area's largest annual event designed to address issues of economic, political and social significance for persons with disabilities. Organizers also used this year's forum to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the special education program at De Anza. "We've been the flagship for community colleges to provide services for students with disabilities," said Steve Sellitti, dean of special education and applied technologies. Sellitti said the college has been lucky to have a board of trustees that supports an expanding special education services department. He said that well before the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, the community college had been a leader in providing equal access. "We created the wave," Sellitti said. "Some people have ridden it, but we created it." Coincidentally, 25 years ago, there were just 25 disabled students at De Anza. Now, there are more than 2,000 Sellitti said, making it one of the Bay Area's largest college populations of students with disabilities. According to forum organizers, by the year 2000, an estimated one in five Santa Clara County residents of all ages and backgrounds will have a disability. John Gallo, a student at the college who uses the services, said he plans to graduate in spring of 2000, thanks to assistance provided by the college. "It's the first time I really got help in school," Gallo said. "Through high school and elementary, I never had help." Gallo, who majors in digital photography, uses the computer lab in the Assistive Technology Training Center. Facilitators are specially trained to meet the needs of the students with disabilities. Gallo also uses the aid of a note taker in lecture hall, provided by the special education division. Though such a computer lab may hardly seem noteworthy to some, Sellitti said technology is the next great barrier persons with disabilities must contend with to maintain equal access. "Say you couldn't turn on your computer to access the web," he said. "Just think of how far you would fall behind." Benita Rashall, a counselor in the department, helps students become job-ready while at De Anza. More than 250 students take classes that will help them enter the work force. Aside from teaching technical skills, Rashall said, "One of the biggest goals is self-determination and independence." Rashall said though ADA has helped break down some of the physical barriers that had long separated the disabled from the majority of society, there still remain some invisible barriers to be destroyed. "Attitudinal barriers," she said. "That's a higher mountain to climb." As Lee relished his moment of glory in Candlestick park, the audience enjoyed his sense of humor--and his take on life. Lee said he took the first two pitches for strikes and waited to hear the third pitch, which he whacked for a home run. "When you're in the batters, box of life," Lee said, "you gotta take your swings." [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.