Ninety-One Years
of
Editorial Freedom
P
girl a
ai
APRIL SHO)WERS
Scattered thundershowers
possible with a high in the
low 6s
Vol. XCI, No. 147 Copyright 1981, The Michigan Daily Ann Arbor, Michigan, Wednesday, April 1, 1981 Ten Cents Twelve Pages
Handicapped
students
cope with life
at the U
By KATHLYN HOOVER
T HE WOMAN WALKS into the lecture hail and pauses
by the door. Her dog Angel waits patiently by her
side.
"Can someone help me find a seat please?" she asks. No
response.
SHE ASKS AGAIN. Still no response. .
Finally the chatter dies to a low murmur. She knows
this means the professor has arrived. She asks for
assistance once more.
Finally someone gets up and helps her find a seat. .,
WHEN THE OTHER students in the class are worrying
about how hard the next exam will be and how boring the
lecturer is, Margie Minor's first concern is finding a seat.
But then life has always posed special challenges for the
LSA senior, who went blind ten years ago after contrac-
ting glaucoma.
Since she came to the University three years ago, Minor
said she has encountered a variety of reactions from in-
structors and students ranging from helpful to patronizing
and condescending.
INCIDENTS LIKE the classroom scene noted above
have happened numerous times, and Minor said she
knows they will happen again.
"It's hard, people can really make it hard. Some people
fall all over trying to help me even'when I don't need it.
Others will challenge me by not helping at all and that's
just as patronizing," she said.
Instructors can sometimes pose special problems. Some
say they don't want her to tape their lectures, and others
think she'll be too much trouble in the class. "I've had in-
structors say, 'I think this course will be too difficult for
you. How will you do the paper? I don't want you recor-
See 'U', Page 7
Hinekley' s
intent spelled
out in letter
UNIVERSITY STUDENT Ann Daly has multiple sclerosis. Like other
disabled students here she shares a unique perspective on life.
From AP and UPI
WASHINGTON-John Warnock Hinckley Jr.,
accused of shooting President Reagan, spelled out
his intent to kill the chief executive in an unmailed
letter to the young co-star of a movie about
assassination, congressional and Justice Depar-
tment sources said yesterday.
The sources said investigators found a letter ad-
dressed to 18-year-old movie actress Jodie Foster.
She was featured in the film "Taxi Driver," in
which the male lead plots the assassination of a
political figure.
ACCORDING TO the sources, Hinckley wrote:
"I'm going to do it for you."
Meanwhile, President Reagan rebounded
yesterday from gunshot surgery "extremely
well" and with a strong dose of humor as he signed
a major economic bill and otherwise resumed
command of the country.
Reagan was described by doctors as being in
"excellent spirits," fewer than 24 hours after an
assailant's bullet was removed from his left lung.
"THE PRESIDENT continues on the road to
recovery. He is doing extremely well," Reagan's
personal physician, Dr. Daniel Ruge, said in a
later statement issued at the White House at 5
p.m. EST. "After sleeping this morning, he has
spent the day reading newspapers. From time to
time he is sitting up in bed."
A top White House official also declared yester-
day that press secretary James Brady is "going to
live" and said chances are good that he would not
be permanently impaired by the bullet which
pierced his brain in the assassination attempt on
President Reagan.
White House chief of staff James Baker said
yesterday that "A - he's going to live; B - they
think the mental capacity will be there."
Doctors called Brady's progress "extraor-
dinary," but were uncertain about prospects for
complete recovery. There is a possibility 'of
weakness in the left side of his body or, perhaps,
some paralysis.
FROM CONGRESS to the White House to
President Reagan's hospital room, officials
sought to reassure Americans yesterday that the
government "did not skip a beat" when the chief
executive was shot, and is running smoothly while
he recuperates from an assassination attempt.
Vice President George Bush, who cut short a
trip to Texas and rushed back to Washington after
Reagan was wounded Monday, became the
president's stand-in.
He received the daily national security briefing,
presided over a Cabinet meeting, visited Capitol
Hill, and welcomed visiting Dutch Prime Minister
H.E. Andreas Van Agt.
HOWEVER, BUSH and members of the White
House staff took pains to portray Reagan as the
fast-recovering boss who remains in charge.
"He (Reagan) is president of the United States
and actually signed a bill this morning," the vice
president said.
"I will be taking over some meetings that the
president would have participated in, but I'm in
most of them anyway," Bush added. "So it's
business as usual to the best we can do it."
THE SECRET Service started an internal in-
vestigation yesterday to determine whether all
possible precautions were taken to protect
President Reagan before and after he and three
others were shot Monday:
The investigation will cover allegations by some
members of the media that bystanders-including
the suspect, John Hinckley Jr.-were allowed into
an area reserved for the press, and allegations
Hinckley was "acting strange" as he stood among
reporters, Warner said.
"None of this has been verified, but we've got to
find out whether it's fiction or fact," he said.
CONGRESSIONAL gun control advocates
yesterday demanded tougher federal restrictions
in the wake of the attempted assassination of
President Reagan, but they found no sign of sup-
port from the Reagan team.
Attorney General William Smith told reporters
that he doubts the shooting will cause the ad-
More on the life of John Hinckley, See Page
3.
Secret Service begins internal investigation,
See Page 9.
ministration to veer from its longstanding op-
position to federal handgun edntrols.
The FBI identified the weapon used in the
shooting as a .22-caliber Rohm Model RG-14. The
Rohm company is a West German firm.
THE SIX-SHOT revolver falls in the category
popularly known as "Saturday night specials."
They are generally inexpensive, and small enough
to be concealed in a coat pocket.
Edwin Meese III, Reagan's counselor, said on
the PBS show "The MacNeil-Lehrer Report," that
handgun control would not have kept John Hin-
ckley Jr., the president's accused assailant, from
getting a gun.
Meanwhile, Vice President George Bush's office
See HINCKLEY'S. Page 2
U' lacks transportation
for handicapped students
By KATHLYN HOOVER
New students face similar problems when
they come to the University. They worry
about handling thie workload, finding.
housing, getting lost and making friends.
But in addition to these common
psychological and academic worries, the
physicall handicapped student has to over-
come physical barriers such as buildings
that aren't accessible, a spread-out cam-
pus with little accessible transportation to
help the physically disabled to get around.
CURRENTLY, the University campus is
not regarded as very accessible to the han-
dicapped, according to advocates for
disabled students.
A survey completed in 1979 of ten univer-
sities with populations of 30,000 students or
more showed that the University was the
only school without adequate transportation
for handicapped students.
The survey was done by the University's.
Disabled Student Services office. Another
group on campus, Breakthrough, was
recently formed to work with the University
on problems that handi.,_ pped students en-
counter.
Spokespersons from both DSS and
Breakthrough say they believe many han-
dicapped students don't come to the Univer-
sity because of its low accessibility ratings.
"GETTING TO CLASS is a staple of sur-
vival at a university. Very few (handicap-
ped) people come here because the know
nothing's been done," said Steven Biehle,
editor of the handicapped newsletter, The
Advocate.
"I think there is a kind of block on doing
things for the handicapped, a lot of fear," he
added. "The law is general and the accoun-
tants start doing their adding up and think it
will cost too much money."
Breakthrough member Margie Minor said
she knows of some disabled students who
don't even take classes in the winter
because of the difficulty getting to class.
AND, ACCORDING TO DSS Program
Director Jim Kubaiko, some disabled
students even drop out.
Most of the University's buildings have
been made accessible to mobility impaired
students.
All of the residence halls except for
See DISABLED, Page 9
'Ordinary People' wins
Hutton supporting Oscar
HOLLYWOOD (AP) - Timothy Hut-
ton, who played the guilt-ridden
younger son in "Ordinary People," won
the Oscar for best supporting actor of
1980 at the 53rd Academy Awards last
night.
The ceremony had gotten off to a
serious start as a straight-faced Johnny
Carson explained why the show was
postponed for 24 hours - the
assassination attempt on President
Reagan.
"I'M SURE THAT all of you here and
those of you watching tonight under-
stand why we have delayed this
program for 24 hours," said Carson,
host for the third year. "Because of the
incredible events of yesterday, the old
adage 'the show must go on' seemed
relatively unimportant."
Carson added that the situation had
improved and Reagan was feeling
much better, at which the Los Angeles
Music Center audience erupted in ap-
plause. Carson also said Reagan was
reported to have ordered a television
set in his hospital room so he could wat-
ch the Oscarcast.
The pre-award ceremonies went off
with as much hoopla as ever. A
bleacher crowd of 1,000 fans applauded
favorites, with the loudest cheers ac-
corded Dolly Parton, Goldie Hawn, and
Mary Tyler Moore.
THE ACADEMY HAD delayed a
decision on whether to televise opening
greetings that Reagan had taped nearly
two weeks ago. But at 3 a.m. yesterday,
academy president Fay Kanin received
the message from the White House:
"The president said to go ahead and use
the tape in any way you want."
In the remarks, Reagan, a former
movie actor, told the audience that "the
miracle of American technology links
us with millions of moviegoers around
the world."
Planning next
year's. course
load?
Check tomorrow's Daily
for courses that some studen-
ts say are easy. And don't
miss Friday's edition, either.
Which concentration
programs have the lowest
average grade points? Do
students with the highest
G.P.A.'s study more?
Friday's Daily will answer
these questions and more
with a complete listing of
average grades given in
every class taught during fall
term 1980.
Spring Fling
Sunlight dances on a Frisbee, assisted by the nimble fingers of LSA sophomore David Powell. With the weather turning
beautiful at long last, can finals be far away? -
TODAY-
Going ape over primates
ROFESSOR HUGH Gilmore has been enlivening
the serious primatology studies of his
Anthropology 368 class on primate behavior with
a little class participation. Earlier in the year
Gilmore sponsored a hunt for the only hamadryas baboons
on campus-which an intrepid student located in a stone
frieze outside the LSA building's loading dock. Today
brings the primatology event of the year-the primatologist
inke nntest. Manv resnnnes have come in sn far to the
old-fashioned economy
Gretchen Brown of Spokane, Wash. isn't about to buy a
Japanese import-she knows the value and economy of the
American automobile first-hand. Since 1936, Brown has
driven the same Oldsmobile coupe, which she bought for a
mere $925. And even more amazing, Brown has yet to
return to the dealership. "I'm 76 now. It will last me as long
as I live, I'm sure," Brown confidently predicts. The Olds
may have lasted longer than most modern models because
of its relatively easy life. Brown has taken only two long
sacked his home, Calvin Sterk of Grand Rapids has decided
to join them in illegal activity. Sterk is openly offering to
buy a hot radio, wristwatch, and suit-the very items stolen
from his home in March. The sign in front of the Sterk home
reads, "To the thieves who stole my belongings: I will buy
them back at top dollar. Suit is $75. Radio is $50." Sterk,
who joined local fences in competing for his belongings out
of frustration, called his scher ie "an honest, bona fide
genuine offer" with no questions asked. Sterk resorted to
the peculiar method of buying back his own belongings
because of the immense personal value of some of the
a public housing project with an unsavory reputation The
Rev. Dr. Buck Jones, director of a welfare reform gruup.
cordially invited the candidates to live in the pro ject.
saying the move would be "a humanitarian decision." Then
he proceeded to describe the candidates' possible future
residence. Junkies sometimes order tenants to move their
cars when they interfere with drug trafficking, Jones said,
and shootings at the housing complex are "an every day af
fair." Candidate Wamser said he couldn't move because he
was already paying for one mortgage, while Candidate
Shoemehi said, "I cannot afford to maintain two homes."
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