RUNNING HEAD: ACCESSIBILITY ON CAMPUS: ACCOMMODATIONS PROVIDED

Accessibility on College Campus: Looking at the Accommodations Provided

Samantha Latham

Northern Illinois University

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Introduction

When deciding on what college or university students are going to pick for their future,

most just look at if they have their major offered and if they feel like they can see themselves

there for the next four or so year. For some students in the United States there are additional

things they need to check off their list before they can decide on what school they want to go to.

Those students that have extra stipulations are those that have disabilities. They need to make

sure that the school is going to be able to accommodate all the needs that they may have. This

may range from tutors, to testing help, interpreters, or just how accessible the classrooms and the

residence halls are so that they can physically get to and from class and have a comfortable place

to live while on campus. Those were just a few examples, there are many more aspects that

students with disabilities need to consider. For the students that are able bodied or do not have

any other disability, those questions listed are not something that they even have to think about.

In a report from the National Center for Education Statistics in 2011-2012 it was stated

that eleven percent of undergraduates reported having a disability (Institute of Education

Sciences, 2015). When talking about disabilities this is not just limited to those who have

physical disabilities, this also includes those who have learning and emotional disabilities as

well. The focus of this paper is going to be on the history of the law that made it easier for

students with disabilities being accommodated on the campuses that they choose to go to. It will

also go in to some of the further issues that students still have even after the law came into effect.

The final portion of the paper will be focusing on the accessibility of the Holmes Student Center

here at Northern Illinois University and also the additional accommodations that are provided by

the university to the students.

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Review of Key Literature

In order to fully understand what it means for a campus to be accessible you need to look

in depth into the law that led to the changes that were made. Since the law was passed in 1990

there have been additions to the law to ensure the information and accommodations are true to

the changing times of colleges and universities across the United States.

History of the American Disabilities Act of 1990

During the Civil Rights Movement protestors got the attention of Congress to pass laws

against racial discrimination. Advocates for the disabled community started to pay attention to

this, they then thought that if Congress paid attention to those who were against racial

discrimination, then why would they not pay attention to the discrimination against the disabled

that live in the United States (Mayerson, 1992).In the United States before laws were passed the

mind set of most when it came to disabled people was, out of sight, out of mind, meaning that

if they were not acknowledged then it would mean that they are not really a part of society

(Mayerson, 1992). Advocates of this population of people wanted to make sure that this

populations voice was heard and they were no longer thought of as being out of sight, out of

mind. They are people too, and the advocates wanted to make sure that the population of

disabled people received the same rights as the rest of the Americans living in the United States.

In 1973 Congress finally heard those advocates for the disabled community. They passed

the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, that contained a passage in Section 504 that , banned

discrimination on the basis of disability by recipients of federal funds (Mayerson, 1992). This

act was the first time that people who had disabilities could not be excluded or segregated

against, as they had been the past. Section 504 was significant for the population with
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disabilities because it was the first time they were recognized as being a part of the minority

groups that are living in the United States (Mayerson, 1992).

As the 80s came to the forefront, so did more issues for the disabled population. There

was talk about de-regulating the regulation that came fourth because of Section 504. Advocates

spoke up to ensure that the de-regulation would not become a reality, and because of the

advocates hard work de-regulation did not happen. The 80s also brought various cases to the

attention of the Supreme Court, all of these cases pertained to violations of Section 504

(Mayerson 1992).

What we know today is the American Disabilities Act of 1990 first came across the floor

of Congress in 1988 in the form of a first draft. Knowledge of the draft going to Congress and

the help of the National Council on Disability really brought this act into the limelight of society.

In late 1988 a hearing was held where people from the disabled community came as witnesses to

speak on behalf of the necessity of the act being enacted into law. Based on the testimony of the

700 witnesses that showed up to the hearing, it was said that the next time the Congress came

into session that this act would be a top priority (Mayerson, 1992).

In front of the 101th Congress the new and improved American Disabilities Act was

introduced in May of 1989 (Mayerson, 1992). The act went through many revisions, with both

sides going back and forth on what and who should all be included into the new American

Disabilities Act. One of the big arguments that Congress was adamant about was the exclusion

of people with AIDS and also people with mental illness. Those apart of the disabled

community did not agree with that notion and made sure that people in those population was

included in the American Disabilities Act. After many months of hearings and revision the

American Disabilities Act was finally signed on July 26, 1990 (Mayerson, 1992). Even after it
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was signed regulations were added in 1992 and 1993 to improve the original American

Disabilities Act of 1990 and that people in the United States who needed the protection of this

Act, were protected to the fullest extent. Updates to the American Disabilities Act regulations

are still being made, some as recent as 2013 (ADA National Network).

American Disabilities Act and Higher Education

To fully understand how the American Disabilities Act works in the Higher Education

setting you need to shift the focus to Title II-Public Services: State and Local Government. To

give a simple outline of what all falls under Title II is that it prohibits, discrimination on the

basis of disability by public entities, which are programs, services and activities operated by

state and local governments (ADA National Network). This section also outlines the

requirements that the public services entities need to follow in order to make all areas of their

entity accessible for anyone that would come through their doors. After this act came to light,

places of public services, like a college or university, need to make changes in order to follow all

the requirements that were enacted when the law came into place. The following literature

reviews just how even though this act is in place, there are still present issues for the disabled

populatio.

There are many concerns that surround accessibility. In the article by Leake and Stodden

(2014) the issue that the authors cover is that even though there are accommodations

implemented on campuses in the United States, there is still the obstacle of having a sense of

belonging on the campus (Leake & Stodden, 2014, p.399). Students should not feel like they are

a part of a subgroup when they are attending a college or university, they should feel like any

other student that goes there, no matter what differences they may have. The article states that,

students who are socially accepted are more likely to persist and graduate (Leake & Stodden,
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2014, p.403). If student lacks the sense of belonging then they are going to feel less motivate to

get involved and prosper on the campus they are attending. The key to feeling like they belong

on a campus is to have the social support of the campus, with this support they are going to feel

more attached and connected to the campus that they are a part of (Leake & Stodden, 2014,

p.403).

Another issues that is present in the realm of higher education was brought forth by an

article by Solovieva and Bock (2014). Presented in this article was the issue of accessibility of

universitys websites. In order for a website to be fully accessible there needs to be special

coding done on the website in order for students who need to use special programs such as

screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, and screen magnifiers to be able to access all that

they need to on websites (Solovieva & Bock, 2014, p.113). When website are not accessible to

all students, they are not going to be able to access the information that they are in need of when

they go to the universitys website. This could cause additional problems for the student to have

to solve while they are on campus, or, because the website is not accessible, it could dissuade

them from attending the college or university altogether.

Accommodations of Northern Illinois University

In order to view what the accommodations of Northern Illinois University, I went to one

of the most frequented places on campus by most students, the Holmes Students Center. While

in the Holmes Students Center I made my way through the building only utilizing the ways that I

could go if I had a physical disability. My experience will be outlined in the next section. The

last portion of this section will be an evaluation of the Disabilities Resource Center website and

an analysis of what is all offered will be presented in that section.

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Journey Through Holmes Student Center

Walking up to the building the first thing that I encountered was a sign that had the

International Symbol of Access on it and pointing me toward the west entrance of the building

(see Appendix, Picture 1). Right in the beginning I knew that the accessibility of the Holmes

Student Center was going to be there, but it was not going to be as much as it really should be. I

then made my way toward the west entrance of the Holmes Student Center and came across an

automatic door opener (see Appendix, Picture 2). That entrance led me into the building where I

was met with one more automatic door opener, but two sets of doors to get into the main part of

the building. This meant that I either just went the way that had the automatic door led me or I

needed to figure out how to get through the door by pulling it open. Having to figure out the

logistics of opening the door made me imagine myself how I would do so if I was in a

wheelchair or if I was on crutches. It makes you really think about what you are doing on a day

to day basis when you are able bodied. You do not think twice about ever having to open up a

door or get into a building, but that is the everyday thought of someone who is disabled when

they have to venture their way to a building they have never been in before.

The second, and last, accessible entrance that could be utilized included one that had a

ramp and automatic doors for people to go through (see Appendix, Picture 3). This entrance you

are able to access the main floor of the Holmes Student Center. On this floor the main

attractions that you are able to access are the ballroom, auditorium, and the gallery lounge. On

this floor you are also able to access different elevators to get you to different parts of the

building.

The elevators that were mentioned above, were not as up to date as I thought it they were

going to be. One of the elevators that is utilized in the building is actually a service elevator.
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There is a sign inside the elevator, (see Appendix, Picture 4), which says that the elevator can

only access the main floor and the basement area by the Huskies Den. It was also said on the

sign that if you need to get to another floor of the building you need to find a Holmes Student

Center Employee in order to gain access to the other floors. Seeing a sign like this was very

discouraging. One, I did not feel that it was very accommodating to be using a service elevator

to get to where I needed to go, while also only be limited to certain floors while using the

elevator. The other thing that discouraged me when reading the sign is that if I needed to get to a

different floor that was not on the approved list, I needed to go find someone to help me. If a

building was truly accessible, I should not have to search for someone in order to get where I

want to go.

The other elevator, (see Appendix, Picture 5), is in desperate need of updating. When the

doors first opened, I had to stop for a second and reflect on what I saw. I imagined if I was

coming up to this elevator in a wheelchair, and getting in the elevator, on how I would be

maneuvering my chair in the elevator. The space of the elevator was not very big so my

thoughts was that I would either need to back in the elevator so I can go out forward, or I would

have to do the opposite. In my eyes, I did not feel like there was enough room in the elevator to

turn myself around inside of the elevator. The other indication that the elevator needed to be

updated was that there was a sign posted to press the button for the floor you wanted to go to as

the doors were closing. This made me believe that the Holmes Student Center had definite

issues with the elevator if a sign like that needed to be posted.

The last accessibility service that I sought out in the Holmes Student Center was the

ADA approved restrooms. I did not search the whole building but I did come across a sign that

said that ADA restroom was on the main floor (see Appendix, Picture 6). After further looking
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on the Holmes Student Center website it was discovered that in the entire Holmes Student Center

there are only restrooms that are ADA approved in three locations (Holmes Student Center,

2016).

From my walk through the Holmes Student Center it was brought to my attention that it

was indeed accessible, but there needs to be a revaluation of just how accessible the building

really is. Students should not have to go round about ways just in order to get to an amenity that

they need to. Some of the amenities that I ventured to took my awhile to get to without running

into any obstacles in my way. Also the restrooms and the elevators should be updated as well.

Students should have more than three options as a restroom to utilize. A service elevator should

also not be a means for students with disabilities to have to utilize. There should be fully

functioning elevator that are easily found and accessible for the students.

Disabilities Resource Center

Northern Illinois University further accommodates their students by having a Disabilities

Resource Center right on campus. Students are able to access this office in order to get

additional assistance for anything they may need. Some of the additional services that are

provided by this center are; priority registration, exam accommodations/adaptations, adaptive

technology in computer labs, course substation assistance, alternative text materials, peer note

takers assistance, sign-language interpreters, accessible housing, accessible transportation, and

service animals (Disability Resource Center, 2016). If any student is looking to gain access to

any of these accommodations they need to submit the necessary paper work in order to be able to

use any of these accommodations. On the website it outlines what documentation is need and

how you need to go about getting the proper documentation and what it should all entail.
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Not only does the website outline the accommodations that students can receive through

this center, but it also has a list of various resources that students might need to access during

their time at Northern Illinois University. The website not only lists additional services that are

right on campus, but they also list off campus resources that are beneficial for students to know

about. This shows that the Disabilities Resource Center truly cares that the students that they

serve are receiving all the information that they may need in order to be successful at Northern

Illinois University.

Conclusion

Through the history and the literature it was shown that the accessibility for people with

disabilities has come a long way, but there are still issues and improvements that need to be

made. Advocates in this community need to continue having their voices heard in order to fix

the issues that are present today. As for places of higher education, they need to make sure that

the accommodations that are seen on campus are not just the bare minimum of what they need to

have. The accommodations should be to the best that they can offer so that the students

attending that university feel welcomed, accepted, and that they belong as a part of the campus

community.
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Appendix

Picture 2: This is the automatic

door opener that was found on the
outside and also on the inside of the
Holmes Student Center.

Picture 1: This sign was found in

two places on the outside of the
Holmes Student Center. Both signs
were directing students to utilize
the west entrance of the building.

Picture 3: This is the ramp that

leads to the automatic doors that
lead to the main floor of the Holmes
Student Center. This entrance can
be found on the Normal Rd side of
the building.
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Picture 4: This was the sign that was

found in one of the three elevators
used to accommodate those who
need elevator assistance.

Picture 5: This is one of the three

elevators in the Holmes Student
Center. As seen this elevator is not
a large elevator and would be
difficult to maneuver inside of.

Picture 6: This sign was present to

direct people to one of the three
ADA accessible restrooms in the
Holmes Student Center.
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References
Disabilities Resource Center (2016). In Northern Illinois University.

Fast facts: students with disabilities. In Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved from

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=60.

Holmes Student Center (2016). In Northern Illinois University.

Leake D.W., & Stodden R.A. (2014). Higher education and disability: Past and future of

underrepresented populations. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 27(4),

399-408. Retreived from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1059990.pdf.

Mayerson, A. (1992). The history of the americans with disabilities act: A movement

perspective. Retrived from http://dredf.org/news/publications/the-history-of-the-ada/.

Solovieva, T.I, & Bock, J.M. (2014). Monitoring for accessibility and university websites:

Meeting the needs of people with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and

Disability, 27(2), 113-127. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1040525.pdf.

Timeline of the American Disabilities Act. In ADA National Network. Retreived from

adata.org/ada-timeline.