Posted 6:57 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, 2011
[caption id="attachment_6376" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Ryan Nell, UW-L senior, researches fellow students' experiences navigating campus with a physical disability."]
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[/caption]“It is very important to continually evaluate the accessibility of the UW-L campus and to educate everyone about accessibility issues,” says Link. “The best way to accomplish these goals is to talk directly to the people who face barriers on a daily basis and have learned through their experiences, how to navigate in this world.”
Nell has interviewed several students with disabilities, faculty and staff members. He has received guidance from his faculty mentor through the McNair Scholars Program, Jörg Vianden, assistant professor of student affairs administration/psychology. The two connect well because they both prefer qualitative research, notes Vianden.
“We see the world similarly…not as numbers and statistics, but more as stories and experiences — what people go through on a daily basis,” says Vianden. “Qualitative research will bring that out more than quantitative research can."
Nell says he’s thankful for Vianden who has “helped me navigate the very intimidating process of completing an undergraduate research project”
Nell hopes to finish the study by the end of November and give some tangible information to faculty, staff and students. Research like this is helpful to the campus community as sometimes students don’t speak up about the difficulty they are having, says Chris Coppess, adviser in Disability Resource Services.
“I want to help other students so they don’t necessarily have to go through what I did — so that faculty and staff are aware of what students with disabilities might need,” says Nell.
Improving accessibility at UW-L
UW-L has made many improvements to increase accessibility, says Tom Link, adviser to the student organization Students Advocating Potential Ability. With the addition of Eagle Hall, UW-L now has more than one residence hall with all floors accessible to people who can't walk up stairs. The new academic building has added many more accessible classrooms with significant features related to accessibility.
“All of my classes are in Centennial Hall this semester. The new building is fantastic,” says Ryan Nell, UW-L senior. “Classrooms are bigger and have more space. The bathrooms are more accessible. There are tables in every classroom instead of the desks with the fold down tops, which I can’t use.”
But Nell, Link and other advocates for students with disabilities say there is still room for improvement.
“I hope through programs such as Inclusive Excellence, Students Advocating Potential Ability events, Disability Resource Services outreach, Diversity Dialogues, etc. people will continue to have opportunities to learn more about disabilities and accessibility,” says Link.
Accessibility in UW-L’s new buildings:
Eagle Hall, residence hall:
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Student’s research explores navigating campus with a physical disability
Ryan Nell encountered obstacles most students didn’t as a freshman five years ago. Entering a restroom with his wheelchair was difficult without power-assist doors. He didn’t know who could help him carry his lunch tray or where the elevators were. Now, as a senior, Nell has learned where he can find wheelchair accessible spaces on campus as well as resources for students with disabilities. He’s pleased the new academic building, Centennial Hall, is designed with accessibility in mind. But Nell is still interested in gauging the experience of other students with physical disabilities on campus and potential roadblocks on the path to their degree. He is conducting an undergraduate research project through the McNair Scholars Program, which involves recording the experiences of other students with physical disabilities. He also received an undergraduate research grant from UW-L, which funded most of the study. “I hope this study yields some good information to make some changes and make everyone’s experience as enjoyable as possible,” says Nell. Tom Link, adviser to the student organization Students Advocating Potential Ability, applauds Nell for his research. [caption id="attachment_6395" align="alignright" width="350" caption="UW-L student Ryan Nell says ramps and other accessibility features in Centennial Hall lecture halls and classrooms give him more choices about where he can go and where he can sit in class. "][/caption]“It is very important to continually evaluate the accessibility of the UW-L campus and to educate everyone about accessibility issues,” says Link. “The best way to accomplish these goals is to talk directly to the people who face barriers on a daily basis and have learned through their experiences, how to navigate in this world.”
Nell has interviewed several students with disabilities, faculty and staff members. He has received guidance from his faculty mentor through the McNair Scholars Program, Jörg Vianden, assistant professor of student affairs administration/psychology. The two connect well because they both prefer qualitative research, notes Vianden.
“We see the world similarly…not as numbers and statistics, but more as stories and experiences — what people go through on a daily basis,” says Vianden. “Qualitative research will bring that out more than quantitative research can."
Nell says he’s thankful for Vianden who has “helped me navigate the very intimidating process of completing an undergraduate research project”
Nell hopes to finish the study by the end of November and give some tangible information to faculty, staff and students. Research like this is helpful to the campus community as sometimes students don’t speak up about the difficulty they are having, says Chris Coppess, adviser in Disability Resource Services.
“I want to help other students so they don’t necessarily have to go through what I did — so that faculty and staff are aware of what students with disabilities might need,” says Nell.
Improving accessibility at UW-L
UW-L has made many improvements to increase accessibility, says Tom Link, adviser to the student organization Students Advocating Potential Ability. With the addition of Eagle Hall, UW-L now has more than one residence hall with all floors accessible to people who can't walk up stairs. The new academic building has added many more accessible classrooms with significant features related to accessibility.
“All of my classes are in Centennial Hall this semester. The new building is fantastic,” says Ryan Nell, UW-L senior. “Classrooms are bigger and have more space. The bathrooms are more accessible. There are tables in every classroom instead of the desks with the fold down tops, which I can’t use.”
But Nell, Link and other advocates for students with disabilities say there is still room for improvement.
“I hope through programs such as Inclusive Excellence, Students Advocating Potential Ability events, Disability Resource Services outreach, Diversity Dialogues, etc. people will continue to have opportunities to learn more about disabilities and accessibility,” says Link.
Accessibility in UW-L’s new buildings:
Eagle Hall, residence hall:
- Elevator serves all floors and is ADA compliant
- Exterior building entrances have power-assist doors
- Corridors and door openings are sized to be ADA compliant
- The first floor is level with the ground; No steps are used to enter the building
- Multiple, ADA compliant living units on all floors
- Way-finding signage is ADA compliant
- Elevator serves all floors and is ADA compliant
- Exterior building entrances have power-assist doors
- Corridors and door openings are sized to be ADA compliant
- The first floor is level with the ground; No steps are used to enter the building
- Classrooms and lecture halls are ADA compliant and completely ramped for wheelchair accessibility throughout the room
- Classrooms have assisted listening devices
- Work counters are elevated to accommodate someone in a wheelchair
- All sinks in bathrooms and departments are ADA compliant fixtures, providing room to roll up in a wheelchair and hands-free operation
- All way-finding signage is also in Braille
- Building stairwells have areas of risk assistance for those who can’t use stairs in an emergency