By PAUL GUTIERREZ (KYMA)

IMPERIAL — The 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act is an important one to Imperial Valley College counselor Ted Ceasar. He's devoted more than ten years of his life to serving students who require extra attention. While some community colleges in California needed a stronger push at the federal level to provide reasonable accommodations to those who need it, however, IVC was a pioneer of its time and was a leader in getting resources to students with disabilities.

As far back as 1973, Ceasar tells News 11 sign language interpreters and reading aids were made available to deaf and blind students respectively to help them succeed in the classroom and beyond.

"We've had some deaf students who became employed as mechanics," said Ceasar. "We've also had students with business majors become employed in office situations."

Ceasar adds he's also pleased with IVC'S commitment to accessibility, which he believes is the foundation of ADA. High-tech centers on campus equipped with screen readers and other tools designed to help students with disabilities is making a noticeable impact. At a state and national level, however, he admits equality problems still exist even with the Disabilities Act in place, but a true fix may require attitude changes from employers and other businesses.