A friendship that began in the 1960s has led to a $1 million donation to Syracuse University in hopes of helping students with disabilities.

SU received the donation from alumnus and former SU basketball star George Hicker ’68 in honor of Brian McLane ’69. The donation will fund the Brian McLane Legacy Fund, an effort to improve access and opportunities for disabled students and visitors on campus.

Hicker and other members of the SU basketball team would help McLane, who uses a wheelchair, get to class. Hicker had a level of empathy for McLane, since Hicker was hit by a car his sophomore year, leaving him with a compound fracture of his left femur.

“I was within incidence of being in the same situation for life, or worse,” Hicker said.

The relationship between Hicker and McLane has lasted more than 50 years and now the two are coming together to help today’s disabled students. The money from the fund is going toward improvements in web-based technology, access to facilities, personal assistance and more flexible campus transportation.

The web-based project will consist of new software accommodations to enable students who are deaf, blind, have speech impairments or know English as a second language to have better access to research resources. Charles Merrihew, interim vice president of advancement and external affairs, said campus websites may need to be upgraded to accommodate more people and some have been better adapted than others.

The fund also calls for modifications to doors and restrooms, better signage, stair lifts and changes to drinking fountains among other projects. Hicker said the locations being made more accessible are 804 University Ave., the Office of Financial Aid, Bird Library, the Carrier Dome, Crouse-Hinds Hall, Schine Student Center, the Slutzker International Center and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Merrihew said the infrastructure changes will be a gradual process.

“What we’re working with is campus planning, design and construction as kind of a set of waves,” he said.

Improvements to the campus bus system will include more flexible transportation for people with disabilities but the plan has not been completed. The personal assistance program will likely include assistance for students with disabilities who need help getting around campus, taking notes in classes, transporting items or getting up in the morning, but it still remains in the planning stage, said Lisa Honan, executive director of development. Once created, the program will be coordinated through the Office of Disability Services.

“We have just begun to raise the money that we will need for this,” Honan said. “George’s gift is a wonderful stimulus to help us raise this money.”

There will also be funding in the future to help students with non-physical disabilities. Hicker said it’s important to have resources for students with learning disabilities.

“There are so many more people, kids that have learning disabilities that we don’t know about and if they diagnose it they won’t tell you because they’ll be at a disadvantage,” Hicker said.

Co-President of the Disability Student Union, Nick Holzthum said he has positive expectations for the changes on campus.

“I think the changes that are going to occur on campus are going to be well-received and the changes are very long overdue,” he said.

McLane said he hopes the fund helps establish SU as a place where the disabled are able to get an education without severe difficulty.

Said McLane: “The ultimate goal is to increase both the number of students and the diversity of those students coming to Syracuse in terms of disability.”

Published on August 26, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Rob: rromano@syr.edu