It is has been nearly a year since an undergraduate class conducted research that found the disability access on the Homewood campus to be woefully inadequate. We acknowledge that the University has taken concerted steps to increase accessibility, including the creation of wheelchair-accessible study rooms in the library, a new elevator in Maryland Hall and a ramp entrance to Dunning Hall. While there have certainly been some encouraging signs of progress, there is still a long way to go.
As an institution committed to inclusiveness, we need to ensure that all students, no matter how small the minority, feel welcome in the community. Providing accessible facilities for disabled students is not only a moral imperative, but also a PR necessity. Any deficiency in accessibility projects an image that lessens the reputation of the University as a whole.
While the availability of resources is always a concern, we believe that if the University considers a problem urgent enough, they will be able to find the requisite funds to correct it. The issue of disability rights is not new to the public consciousness. It has been almost two decades now since the enactment of the American Disabilities Act, a set of recommended national standards. It is disconcerting to learn that approximately 18 years after the Act's passage in 1990, the University still lags in providing accessible facilities for the disabled.
The University's insistence on implementing the changes through a five-year plan lacks an appropriate sense of urgency. We are concerned that a five-year plan is a politically expedient way to explain away delays or inaction.
Levering, in particular, cannot afford to be put on a line, as this building is supposed to serve as a de facto student union. The fact that the Center for Social Concern is still inaccessible is as sad as it is ironic. At this point in the University's history, this is a situation that is wholly unacceptable and must be addressed with haste.
