DESIGNED FOR THE DISABLED GLENDALE CAMPUS KNOWN FOR ITS SUPPORT.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Wheelchair-bound and blinded by multiple sclerosis, Elissa Jo was overwhelmed by the thought of attending college after she graduated last June from John Marshall High School in Los Angeles.

Yet the young woman was determined not to let the degenerative disease rob her of a higher education. Taking the advice of a counselor, Jo enrolled at Glendale Community College, a campus with a reputation for serving disabled students and tailoring programs to meet their needs.

``This is the right place for me,'' said Jo, 21, who has been taking computer classes at the campus for about a year. ``I think this college offers a lot more than others do.''

An estimated 1,300 of GCC's 14,000 students are disabled, with conditions ranging from brain injuries to blindness. Visually impaired students - some coming from as far away as Palmdale - make up a large segment of the disabled enrollment.

``We have a really intensive, high-level support program,'' said Joy Cook, associate dean of disabled students programs and services. ``We do get a lot of referrals because of our reputation.''

To accommodate these students, the college has established a high-tech center and a physical education program designed for the disabled.

One of the center's special tools is JAWS - Job Access With Speech - a software program that reads aloud what is on the computer screen. JAWS uses two distinct voices - one reports key strokes and the other cursor movements, as well as different pitches to distinguish between lower- and upper-case letters.

Gretchen Conejo, a single mother who has been blind since birth, hopes that mastering JAWS will help her land a job as a transcriber or airline reservationist.

``I've gotten a lot more proficient in my typing, as well as accuracy,'' she said.

The high-tech center is also equipped with ZoomText, which enlarges letters on the computer screen; Dragon Dictate, which allows a computer to be operated by voice recognition; and Head Mouse, a special eyeglass frame that enables those with only neck movement to use a computer.

Thanks to ZoomText, Kenneth Powell, who has lost most of his eyesight to macular degeneration, has learned how to use the Internet and e-mail.

Before coming to the high-tech center, Powell said, ``I was so dumb about computers, I didn't know the first thing about them.''

In physical education for the disabled, Glendale College is also a leader, creating classes in areas such as aquatics, dance and self-defense.

This fall, the college will expand its adapted athletics program to include basketball, badminton, volleyball, line and square dance and other activities.

Eventually, Lee Miller Parks, the college's adapted physical education specialist, would like to offer skiing, horseback riding and camping for the disabled.

``Glendale College probably has one of the best programs in adapted physical education in the state,'' said Parks, who is credited with building up the program, which serves 150 to 200 disabled students a year.

After taking some adapted exercise classes, Dan Chicoine, whose left side is handicapped due to a stroke, has gone on to regular tennis and golf classes.

``Now I am able to play against able-bodied students and still feel confident,'' he said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) Kenneth Powell, above, uses a keyboard with large letters, specially designed for the visually impaired, at Glendale Community College's high-tech center for the disabled. Edelmira Sideos, left, works at one of the center's computer stations. ``We have a really intensive, high-level support program,'' said Joy Cook, associate dean of disabled students programs and services.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer