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Home Features How You Can Help Aid ADA Accessibility on Campus

by Rebecca Lois Axford

“On your left!”

That’s my roommate, heading down the hill in front of Janzow for dinner. She’s in a wheelchair, and the simple fact of the matter is that manual wheelchairs were not designed with steep hills in mind. The only way to brake in one is to grab the pushrim and try to stop the wheels from turning. There’s no braking on that hill.

Which means that it’s really, really important for people to pay attention and get out of the way.

This isn’t the only place on campus that is difficult for her to navigate. It’s been about ten years since there was a wheelchair bound student on campus, according to Bethany Landrey, the Academic Resources and Disability Support Services Coordinator.

“If people haven’t been in a wheelchair or they haven’t had a family member or friend in one, it may not be on their radar,” Landrey said.

A lot of people park their bikes on the library, or in front of the Weller elevator, which effectively cuts my roommate off from these locations. And the campus itself isn’t entirely ADA compliant. There is no way for someone in a wheelchair to get to parts of Brommer Art Center and most of the Music Center. The laundry room in our dorm is down a flight of stairs, which means that on laundry day she has to go to a different building.

Concordia is working on improving campus accessibility, but members of the campus community can make things easier here and now by being aware of their surroundings. You may not use an elevator or a ramp, but someone else might need to, so try to keep it accessible. It’s not only about students who are on campus. An alumnus or visitor on campus might also need access to these or other accommodations.

“It’s just about remembering that there are students with needs. If there’s a student with a disability make sure they are aware that our services do exist,” Landrey said.

The Disability Support Services have an informational webpage that can be reached at cune.edu/ada.

“If somebody does see something that needs to be addressed, by all means let me know,” Landrey said.

Landrey coordinates accommodations for students who are mobility challenged. If a student registers for a class, for example, it must take place in a location in which he or she can access. There are certain ADA rooms in various buildings on campus that are technically accessible, though sometimes the room itself is accessible, as their placement presents a challenge. My roommate turned down a room in David because it was too difficult to climb the hill to to dorm.

Concordia is working on improving the buildings, though. They will begin a two-year plan to bring the Music Center up to current standards this summer.

Ultimately, it’s about showing Christlike love to the people around us. Just as Jesus went out of his way to show love to disabled people, we should also try to make their lives as easy as possible, loving our neighbors as ourselves .

The lift in the music building is currently the only ADA accommodation available to students or visitors with handicaps.
photo by Robin Consier

photo by Robin Consier

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