Cauldron

Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Ben Felleman Visiting Crooker is an easy task for sophomore theology and Catholic studies major Tomas Diaz, thanks to up-to-date accessibility equipment.

Sophomore communication major Nicole Keith wants to visit her adviser in the 2-story building that houses the communication department's offices, but it is not quite that simple. There is a major barrier.

The problem is not that Keith has not paid her tuition or that she has a hold on her account. In fact, she has never seen the inside of the Guadalupe House, and can only come as close as the sidewalk allows.

The insurmountable obstacle is a flight of stairs.

Keith uses a wheelchair, and there is no wheelchair access to the building. In fact, six buildings on campus-Link-Lee Mansion, Guadalupe House, Tiller Hall, Mount Vernon House, the Political and Social Science House and the Center for Irish Studies and Art History-all lack necessary access for the handicapped.

Life as a student can be challenging. But if a student is disabled, accessibility can add to the difficulty. Keith became paralyzed five years ago as a result of a medical condition called transverse myelopathy. "When this first happened, I never would have guessed how drastically my life would change physically," she said.

The campus has made many additions over the years to increase accessibility, but according to Keith, there are still problem areas. "What bothers me the most is when I just simply can't get into a building," Keith said. To see her adviser, communication professor Livia Bornigia, Keith has to schedule a time, outside of Bornigia's office hours, at another location. "I don't want to say I'm being deprived of the privilege to enter the building, but I am being held back from that privilege," Keith said.

Each year, the campus becomes more accessible, but it is a gradual process, said Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Operations Howard Rose. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that architectural and communication barriers that are structural must be removed in public areas of existing facilities when it can be done without much difficulty or expense. The problem, according to Diego Demaya, legal specialist of the Southwest Americans with Disabilities Act Center, is deciding when a barrier is too difficult or expensive to alter.

Continued...

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