Biography

Ed McCloskey tirelessly served the UCLA community as the Director of the Center of Accessible Education (CAE) at UCLA for many years.  At CAE, previously called the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), Ed always made sure incoming and prospective students with disabilities believed they could flourish on campus.  He oversaw all of CAE and always made time for students in need.  He learned some ASL to communicate with students and guests who identified with the Deaf community. Ed oversaw housing appeals and ensured that students with disabilities were expertly accommodated and continuously supported students through tragedies and triumphs. A student with quadriplegia said Ed immediately took action when his UCLA apartment bathroom wasn’t accessible.  Another student said she would go into Ed’s office crying and always come out relieved.  In August of 2014, while biking home from UCLA, Ed got hit by an SUV.  He was in a coma for 6 weeks and in hospital for 14 weeks because of a complication of physical issues and uncertainty to the extent of his acquired brain injuries and his cranial nerve #3 damage.  Ed was back to work less than 6 months after his accident, still dealing with his injuries, but he didn’t let that stop him from serving UCLA’s community with disabilities.