Old CSD Investigation

“Independent Living isn’t doing everything by yourself - - its being in control of how things are done” -Judy Heumann

We went back in history to investigate a little about Deaf history and also U.S. history. For OUR Deaf history, we learned about the old California School for the Deaf and Blind in Berkeley near the University of California. They stayed there for 80 years and they moved to Fremont in 1980 because of safety from the earthquake and more larger facilities. Now, University of California owns that campus for housing students, faculty members, and senior citizens. It also provides the intramural athletic facilities and an auditorium. We entered that place and it was very beautiful Spanish-style structures which keep the building very cool with all the windows and easily-flowing water from the tile roofs.

After walking around the old campus, we walked to People’s Park was used for the radical political activity in late 1960s. Berkeley people gave the park as a place of creating a beautiful setting, listening music, and planted gardens. People’s Park came to life with the spirit of the 1964 Free Speech Movement and there were more protests after that. On May 6, 1969, Governor Reagan promised to put an end to People’s Park. Later, on May 30, 1969, 30,000 Berkeley people marched past the barrier from People’s Park to protest Governor Reagan’s compromise. But the National Guard for 24/7 and the barbed wires fence prevented them to enter the park. The strike was calmed down for a few weeks and right now, People’s Park is open for everybody to play and rest there.

Beginning in the 1960s, Berkeley Civil Rights and free speech started. We were curious what their protests were about such as deaf movement, black movement, and rights for the mentally ill. There were a lot of strikes but some of those were very important to us. UC students with disabilities wanted to have more accessibility and more involvement in the community. They did a lot of efforts to set up the Physical Disabilities Students Program (PDSP) in 1970.

They also founded the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in 1972 on Telegraph St. and Blake St. from 1975 to present. This year marked the 35th year anniversary of CIL. CIL helped people with disabilities for their needs and it also provides people to be independently for this community. It also tries to make people with disabilities to be involved in the community. They also founded the American with Disabilities Act in 1990 and Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) which it helped them to have high-paying jobs in the computer technologies field. Disability Rights Movement successfully accomplished the “504” systems in 1977 from the Federal Funds. With the prosperous environment of disability organizations, the City of Berkeley can be proud of being named as the “Most Accessible City in the U.S.” in 2007.