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
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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.
