25 Years of Strong Support for the ADA at Texas State

By Brenna O'Donnell

The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrates 25 years and Texas State is ensuring their support is known. Not only did the university declare October as the Disability History and Awareness month, but also continuously show that they care about their students with disabilities through the up keeping of various commuter aides and access points around campus.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was nationally implemented in 1990 to prevent discrimination against citizens with any form of disability. According to the official ADA web site, equal opportunities are required for citizens with disabilities when it comes to job opportunity, purchasing goods and the ability to take part in any desired State or local government service or program.

The ADA was created to ensure equality was not being overlooked in publics around the country. Although Texas State put the act into effect 25 years ago, students today are still graciously aware of the many ways in which their campus provides options for those with disabilities and impairments.

“I definitely think Texas State does a pretty good job of taking care of the disabled through the ADA. Every building I have been in all have elevators and ramps, which is important as well as all of the bathrooms and automatic doors,” said Kerry Fellers, a senior construction science major at Texas State.

(Student Kerry Fellers, pictured outside of the UAC building on campus)

The ADA initiated what is considered to be a civil rights act, but with evolvement of communities and public norms, it seems as though individuals with disabilities in today’s day and age would be equally accepted and cared for just as everyone else would be.

Fellers later stated that he does not think the Texas State campus would be seemingly different without the ADA act in place because he feels as though there would still be ramps and elevators for the disabled anyways.

But of course where there is success, there is always room for improvement.

When asked about ways in which Texas State could make changes to benefit students with disabilities, Junior Takia Bunton said, “I think the elevators in some buildings need to go to all the floors. For example, Derrick Hall. Although it has an elevator, it does not reach the fourth floor. If someone with a physical disability had a class on the fourth floor, they would have to find a way to get around Derrick Hall.”

(On campus, Junior Takia Bunton is pictured here)

Texas State student, Emily Parma, shared a different aspect concerning the ways in which Texas State could improve the ADA act on campus.

“I feel like educating non-disabled students [about the ADA act] would be beneficial in kind of bridging the stigma that goes with people who the ADA benefits and things like that. It’s only been 25 years so I fee like we still have more steps to take to bridge that gap in the stigma. There is disability awareness week or month, but I feel like there is no education that goes along with that,” said Parma.

(Student Emily Parma pictured here)

As October rolls on, Texas State continues to grow and develop with the ADA while it’s history and awareness for the disabled population celebrates a prodigious milestone. Equal rights is to be had by all, be it gender, race, religion or impairment; the university shows it’s acceptance for a changing world together this October and in the years to come.