Campus poses challenges to wheelchair users
By Josh Patterson
Dorothy “Dot” Nary, doctoral student in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science is a paraplegic. Each day she parks her car outside her office at the Dole Human Development Center. When she needs to go the Student Union or Frasier Hall she must drive, take a bus, or navigate her wheelchair along a complex route of ramps, pass through multiple buildings and take two elevators just to reach Jayhawk Blvd.
For many, catching a bus or finding parking spot is the biggest challenge they face getting to campus. But for wheelchair-bound faculty, staff and students the challenge can be navigating the campus itself.
“I found the campus really frustrating at first, there are so many pathways. I’d think I was following one that would lead to a ramp but find myself staring up or down a flight of stairs and have to backtrack,” said Nary. “The fact that KU sits on top of a hill exacerbates wheelchair access issues. Sometimes just making the campus compliant with ADA guidelines in not enough.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990 is a broad civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disabilities. The act defines discrimination as “failure to remove architectural barriers in existing facilities.” This means existing facilities also must be made accessible to those with disabilities. The act defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.”
Under the act, individuals with disabilities have the same rights as non-disabled citizens and are entitled to the same access to public services, transit and commercial facilities.
ADA went into effect in 1992. Under Title III of the ADA all new construction, modifications and improvements must be fully compliant with the ADA accessibility guidelines. The law sets the standards that builders must follow when constructing businesses and public buildings. These design standards deal primarily with wheelchair accessibility. They cover things such as the maximum slope of ramps, the required width of doors and the maximum height of railings.
“The University’s campus has had to go through considerable renovations in order to make the entrances and interiors of the buildings wheelchair accessible,” said James Modig, director of the office of design and construction management. The office oversees all building repairs and renovations.
“It is an ongoing process to ensure we provide disabled students with access, it’s also a question of available funding,” said Modig.
The University requires at least one ADA compliant entrance to each building on campus. One entrance must have an automatic door opener. Many buildings have several. According to Modig, a door opener cost between $3,000 and $5,000 to install. Ramps are another required, and expensive, addition. The ramp leading to the main entrance of Watson Library cost the KU over $50,000 to construct.
Modig has worked as director for 20 years, during which time he has seen the University’s facilities go through many renovations to keep up with ADA requirements. “It’s an old campus, the average age of our buildings is 47 years. Six buildings are over one-hundred years, five of those are on the National Historic Registry,” said Modig.
Modig said that Strong Hall was an example of a challenging project. Strong Hall was completed in 1923. Like many buildings it’s age, it was built with the main floor one and a half floors above street level. This makes wheelchair access a challenge. Additionally, the building is on the historic registry, making renovations extremely difficult, and expensive.
Transportation to and from the University has also been an issue that for many years caused wheelchair-bound students significant problems. AbleHawks, a student organization dedicated to raising awareness of disability issues at KU was instrumental in getting the University to create KU on Wheels, the school’s disabled transport program.
“Transportation has been one of the biggest issues among AbleHawks members. KU didn't have an ADA compliant bus for more than 16 years since ADA was passed. AbleHawks worked hard and demanded equal access,” said Chaki Gonda, AbleHawks treasurer. “We testified for the need for accessible transportation at the student senate meeting last school year. Finally, KU on Wheels got new buses this year which makes us so proud and happy.”
Both Nary and Modig serve on the KU Architectural Barriers Committee. Modig has served as the interim chairman for the past four years. The committee includes faculty and students, its purpose is to troubleshoot campus access issues and make recommendations for improvement. Nary has worked and studied at KU for 10 years. In this time she has seen wheelchair access on campus increase but sees the need for improvement.
“Overall I think the University does a good job of listening to us and doing their best to meet our needs. But many times it is not clear who to contact if say, an automatic door is out of order, said Nary. “If I had to recommend one thing it would be more signage directing people to wheelchair-friendly routes.”
Nary said KU needs to raise awareness about disabled access issues. “Many times new students have a hard time getting around. Currently, there is no specific orientation through the Disabled Resource Center for new students on how to get around campus. It’s a big campus and can be daunting.”