The University Record, November 16, 1998
Zazove receives Neubacher Award
By Rebecca A. Doyle
Philip Zazove, clinical associate professor of ambulatory medicine and assistant chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Family Medicine, received the James Neubacher Award on Oct. 14. He was honored for his commitment to deaf students, for his contribution of time and talent, and for his role as mentor and role model for deaf students at the U-M and other higher education institutions.
Zazove served as camp medical director at Shady Trails, the northern Michigan summer camp for deaf students that was formerly operated by the U-M. The camp closed in 1995 because of cuts in state funding.
He was honored for the “significant contributions that he has made to improve the quality of life for people who have disabilities,” noted his citation. “Through his efforts, he has enabled individuals with disabilities to live more productively and independently, and in so doing he has enriched our community and represented the University of Michigan in an exemplary manner.” Zazove is one of only four deaf physicians practicing in the United States.
The Neubacher Award is given annually by the Council for Disability Concerns in honor of James Neubacher, a columnist at the Detroit Free Press and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, who died of multiple sclerosis in 1990.
In the same ceremony, Council for Disability Concerns task forces awarded certificates of appreciation to 13 others who had made significant contributions to accommodate employees and students with disabilities.
The Accessibility Task Force honored Michael Myatt and Carolyn Shaklee. Myatt, draftsperson in Facilities Planning and Design, has worked for several years to help make the campus barrier-free. Shaklee, housing adviser in University Housing, has for several years been the first point of contact for those with disabilities as they seek housing in residence halls, and has gone beyond her job description in making sure they are accommodated as much as possible.
The Education Task Force honored Eric Dey and Scott Strieter. Dey, associate professor or education, “worked creatively to provide accommodations for a blind student in one of his classes,” making sure that material was presented in a variety of ways so everyone received it. Strieter, a radiologist at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, has devoted “literally thousands of hours to maintaining the computer software and networks at the University’s Adaptive Technology Computing Site.” He also volunteered to help individual students configure their home computers.
The Employment Task Force honored Archie Andrews, Mary Hummel and Larry Durst (University Housing); Scott Bechaz and Gwendolyn Day (Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine); Sandra Lowry and Pamela Widmayer (Food Service); Jean Shlafer (Patient Care Services) and Dorothy Zacharski (Operating Rooms) for the care and thought they invested in making a work environment fit their employees’ needs.
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