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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1989)
oney matters for UNL's accessibility /accessibility for the physically hallenged is a problem at the Univer ity of Nebraska-Lincoln and accord ing to one official, the real solution is a natter of dollars and sense. According to Brad Munn, Affirma ive Action officer, accessibility encom >asses many areas of the university tructure. "... it means structural accessibility, >rogram accessibility and within pro gram accessibility, dealing with profes sors and staff," he says. "If you're temporarily or perma lently disabled at UNL, the university ntends to provide you with accessibil ty, whether that always happens is difficult for me to prove." Under section 503 of the Rehabilita tion Act the university must be acces sible to all students, Munn says. By relocating classes to accessible buildings and/or accessible class rooms for the physically impaired, Munn says that UNL fulfills the acces sibility requirement. "Most people know that we have done as much as we can," Munn says. In order to accomplish total stnic tural accessibility, Munn says, it would be unrealistic to tack on an additional $100 to each students' tuition. "We live in a state that is not blessed with an unending abundance of wealth/' he says. The best programming and accessi bility UNL can provide takes a lot of money, Munn says, and the university doesn't have that kind of money. Tim Engstrom, a junior news-edito rial student who uses a wheelchair, agrees with Munn. "The university does just about all it can with the money it has," Engstrom says. If the state doesn't or can't appropri ate the funds, then the university's hands are tied. But Carol Inselman says that struc tural accessibility can be attained by working on the little things. "I think it's deplorable (at UNL)," says Inselman, a graduate student in counseling psychology. Inselman attended Wayne State College for undergraduate studies and according to her, most buildings and facilities in Wayne are accessible -- from the doors to the classrooms. "Not many buildings (at UNL) are accessible," she says. Many of Inselman's classes, she assistant Jose Rojas to access the ;ngstrom must leave the building, pass 9 the freight elevator. If Engstrom could waikUffe would need onlyTo cross^the hall to tSe stairs; the laundry room is located Almost dlfechy lelow his room. “It's a real pain when you have 50 pounds of laundry,” Engstrom says. says, are moved to Henzlik. "There have been times when pro fessors are angry because it's not the kind of classroom they wanted," she says. But Inselman says that more often than not, the professors are helpful. "Some professors are real sensitive and go out of their way to make things real comfortable," Inselman says. Inselman says some professors aren't aware of the laws, and what the university is doing for accessibility. "One professor suggested lifting students (in wheelchairs) up the stairs," she says. "It's embarrassing and talk about liability. "I guess I'm concerned that not more is being done to renovate build ings on campus." Inselman says the 3rd floor of Seaton Hall is completely inaccessible. "Sometimes I do the steps anyway," she says. Usually, Tnselman says, her classes are changed. "It's just things like that that make it difficult," she says. According to Inselman, another hurdle that physically impaired stu dents deal with are the restrooms. Restrooms, for students in wheel chairs especially, are not adequately accessible, Inselman says. She recalls 1 i i 1 1 _ _. _ _ 1 . C . ^ » C .xm .-'1 --v^ IlUW ell lilt: UI cells, ui unc vm net v-hujcj students in wheelchairs had to go to the bathroom in front of everyone. Because the stall was so small, they could not move from the wheelchair to the stool without leaving the door open. "I don't think there's any excuse for that," Inselman says. In the broader scheme, Inselman lists such things as educating the cam pus on rights and the university's obli gation to providing overall accessibil ity as most important. Munn says he concurs with many students that it may be embarrassing for the physically impaired to deal with some of the barriers. "But for 40 students out of 24,000 we have to be realists in this society," Munn says. "If you and those students have a way to change that overnight.. . bring the money and it will be done. "Sure it's humiliating, but isn't it better to be educated and have the class changed or is it better to gripe and complain that the class has to be changed?" Munn asks. "Where do you draw a reasonable denominator? "I'm not happy with... the situation at the journalism college. I think it's wrong that a student has to come in the back door." Munn also says that the ramp con nected to the west side of the Nebraska Union is another design flaw, because the slope is too steep and there is no overhead covering. There are buildings on campus, particularly the greenhouses on East Campus, which are going to bedifficult to make accessible, Munn says. Munn says it may not be feasible to make the campus totally accessible. "Is it proper to spend half a million dollars to get to one room at the top of one building if that class can be moved? "I'd rather see the half million dol lars go into research so that some of the people who have been stricken by an ailment that created their disability could be conquered," Munn says "For every single classroom to ever be accessible, may not be in the cards," he says. If there's not an elevator in the build ing now, Munn says an elevatoi has to be installed, and if there are only two rooms at the top of the building, it doesn't make much sense to have an elevator in the building. Munn has worked to make some buildings completely accessible. Munn says he was able to secure funds from the State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and UNL that would renovate Selleck Hall and make it almost 100 percent accessible. The project, costing approximately $600,000, which would cover costs of installingan elevator and air condition ing, may be completed as early as August 1989. "I'm proud of that." Munn says. "But I'm not proud that in order to get to and from Harper/Schramm/ Smith residence complex, one has to cross railroad tracks. "Going back to what we would all like," he says, "some of it's out of the question." Inselman says it's a difficult task to satisfy everyone, but it is especially difficult for the physically challenged. There is only one person in charge of handling the problems and assisting handicapped students. According to Inselman, Christy 1 lorn, coordinator of the educational center for disabled stu dents, not only helps students, but she's a good listener and she can usu ally find an answer or solution to the problem. Although he says he agrees, Munn insists that no single group should take credit for the improvements and suc cesses of the program. "The success of the program is by all the people of this community, the UNL community, who have done far more than the law or the spirit of the law requires," Munn says. "The faculty as a group have to take credit, the chancellor has to take credit, students have to take credit. "I've seen students help another student when they've had batteries run out on a chair," Munn says, "There are lots of students who need to be given credit for being caring individuals." Engstrom says that he knows a few physically challenged students who are afraid to ask for help, but says he thinks that attitude is foolish. "Asking for help doesn't bother me," Engstrom says, "we all need help from one time to another." Munn says in addition to commu nity support, realizing the limitations, such as money, have helped UNL and the Lincoln community. "There has never been a charge of discrimination filed on accessibility by any individual with any external agency to the uni versity, since I've been here," Munn says. "If you look at Lincoln, and the ac complishments of this city and this university, for the disabled, then I'd like to know why so many disabled people want to come to Lincoln and to University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "One of the reasons they (physically challenged) tell us, is that we're doing one of the better jobs in the state of Nebraska," Munn says. "We're going to provide the services necessary," Munn says, "for them (physically impaired) to earn an equal education." Lisa Donovaitn.