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War veteran students received accommodations
As early as 1944, veterans who came to study at UW-Madison were able to receive disability accommodations from the Dean of Students Office. Most of the accommodations were for students with mobility, visual or hearing disabilities.
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Source: Access and Accommodation at UW-Madison
Image Source: Madison aerial view (1954) courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources -
Mike McBurney completes his undergraduate degree
Floyd "Mike" McBurney was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. After a diving accident left McBurney with quadriplegia, he went on to enroll at UW-Madison. During his time as a student, he befriended faculty member James Graaskamp, who also used a wheelchair. McBurney received his undergraduate degree from the College of Letters and Sciences in 1960.
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Source: Access and Accommodation at UW-Madison -
Mike McBurney completes his law degree, was third in his class
Mike McBurney continued with his education at UW-Madison, graduating third in his class from the UW School of Law in 1963. Three years later, McBurney was elected Dane County District Attorney in 1966.
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Source: McBurney Disability Resource Center
Image Source: McBurney Disability Resource Center -
Mike McBurney dies, Graaskamp proposes center in his honor
Mike McBurney passed away in 1967, shortly after he became the Dane County District Attorney. James Graaskamp, a UW faculty member and friend of McBurney, approached the McBurney family after Mike's passing with the idea to create a disability services office in his honor.
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Source: McBurney Disability Resource Center -
Federal law prohibits disability discrimination
Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act afforded individuals with disabilities protection against discrimination from federally funded programs, including higher education institutions. Section 504 is seen as one of the precursors to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Source: US Department of Labor
Image Source: US Section 504, via Wikimedia Commons -
The McBurney Center is established
UW faculty member James Graaskamp worked with Dean of Students Paul Ginsberg and Assistant Dean Blair Mathews to establish the McBurney Disability Resource Center in 1977. Named in honor of Mike McBurney, the center provides students with disabilities services.
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Source: Access and Accommodation at UW-Madison -
Federal law to outline rights of disabled individuals
The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990 to provide a comprehensive definition of a disability and the rights afforded to individuals with disabilities. The ADA outlined standards and regulations for higher education institutions to abide.
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Source: ADA website
Image Source: Americans with Disabilities Act courtesy of the United States Congress [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons -
McBurney Center looks to integrate with an online database
McBurney staff first proposed to work with UW-Madison's Division of Information Technology in 2009 to build a database for McBurney's records. Between 2010 and 2017, the Floyd database, named after Floyd "Mike" McBurney, was developed and maintained in-house.
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Sources: McBurney proposal, 2009, UW report, 2016 -
McBurney Center relocates to permanent office
The McBurney Center moved from its temporary location in the Middleton Building to a permanent space at 702 W. Johnson St.
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Source: Celebrating 40 years with the McBurney Disability Resource Center
Image Source: Erin Jordan -
McBurney Center launches portal system for its students
Students who once used paper VISAs now notify professors of accommodations electronically through McBurney Connect. Whereas Floyd maintained digital records, the McBurney Connect portal system is designed for students, instructors, and McBurney staff to track and verify students' accommodations.
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Source: McBurney Connect streamlines accommodation requests
Image Source: Erin Jordan
