Campus Accommodations: ADA approved but is it disability friendly?

By: Hannah Hoffmann

As the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches, Texas State reflects on how the University’s accommodations help disabled students navigate through campus compared to students without a disability.

Although Texas State has made accommodations to make campus more accessible to students with disabilities,the accommodations aren’t as helpful as people think they are.  Despite the hills and numerous stairs, some student’s believe that Texas State has done the best they could to comply with the ADA.

“Texas State is a challenging campus, but for every challenge I see an ADA access point such as ramps and elevator options,” said Kevin Talley, MFA in dramatic writing.

Contrary to the necessary accommodations that Texas State has made, student’s express their opinions about the ineffectiveness of the adjustments of the ADA.

“Some ramps are way too narrow for two people and sometimes wheelchairs are too wide for them,” said Victoria Davila, sophomore chemistry major.

Victoria Davila
Photo by: Hannah Hoffmann

Although students are aware that the hills and stairs at Texas State make it difficult for disabled students to navigate through campus, many non-disabled students admit that they use accommodations such as ramps and elevators.

“I do, yes use the ramps and elevators when it’s convenient for me mostly,” said Kerry Fellers, senior construction science major. “It is helpful for my commute but it wouldn’t negatively affect me if they were not there.”

Many students have observed that the stairs make navigating difficult for visually impaired students and the ramps are in a zig-zag shape making the route for wheelchairs and scooters significantly longer.

The question is – Does the ADA accommodations at Texas State help disabled student’s navigate the campus or does it give non-disabled student’s an easier route to class?

Allison Tagloff
Photo by: Josie Rasberry

“I have to wear a boot for the time being, so walking up and down campus was really hard,” said Allison Tagloff, English major. “All the stairs make getting around fairly difficult.”

Although adjusting to the ADA might be difficult for Texas State, overall students believe that the University has done the best they could to make the campus disability friendly. Texas State has declared the month of October as Disability History of Awareness month. According to the Office of Disability Services there will be events all month long to raise awareness about disabilities such as "Stand Against Stigma Pledge Day" on Oct. 15, which allows students to bring awareness to stop the misconceptions of mentally ill people. 

Alongside Texas State, students have also been taking a stand to raise awareness for students with disabilities. After the video of Brian Guendling, a Texas State football player, performing sign language to the song “Uptown Funk” went viral, there has been a push to make even more changes on campus.

“I know that they just created a deaf section at the stadium which I feel like it is a really big step,” said Emily Parma, special education major. “That’s not really a legal issue at all but I feel like it’s a social step.” 

Emily Parma
Photo by: Holly Henrichsen