2008 Woodie Awards
Campus Access provides students with choices
Misty Gittings
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: News
At the beginning of each academic year, eager freshmen hurry around campus searching for new classes and social activities. But for some, the university environment can be trickier to navigate than for others. That's where the Center for Educational Access (CEA) steps in. CEA is an on-campus resource that assists disabled students in obtaining accommodations for access to educational activities.
Center director Anne Jannarone estimates that CEA will serve approximately 800 students this year, a figure holding steady from last year. To qualify for service, students must register their disability with the center. Disabilities served last year included Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), learning disabilities, medical or chronic health impairments, mental health issues, mobility issues, hearing or vision problems, traumatic brain injury and temporary conditions, such as a broken leg.
The center's main goals are to remove architectural, communication and transportation barriers for these students. Jannarone stressed that achieving these goals requires a different approach for each student based on their individual needs.
"It's important to look at the specific environmental barriers they face and how that intersects with the disability," Jannarone said. For example, a student with a mobility problem might have difficulty navigating the steep hill on Dickson Street near Kimpel Hall. CEA would work with that student to come up with a plan either utilizing alternative campus transportation resources or recommending a different route using a less hilly ramp near the business college.
The first step in receiving necessary accommodation is registration. "It's not like K-12 where the school is obligated to identify the disability and then accommodate it," Jannarone said. "Students have to ask for accommodation."
All documents for the registration process are available online at CEA's Web site. Once registered, students receive letters for their professors explaining their disabilities and needs. But it's up to the students to make their accommodation needs known to their professors.
Center director Anne Jannarone estimates that CEA will serve approximately 800 students this year, a figure holding steady from last year. To qualify for service, students must register their disability with the center. Disabilities served last year included Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), learning disabilities, medical or chronic health impairments, mental health issues, mobility issues, hearing or vision problems, traumatic brain injury and temporary conditions, such as a broken leg.
The center's main goals are to remove architectural, communication and transportation barriers for these students. Jannarone stressed that achieving these goals requires a different approach for each student based on their individual needs.
"It's important to look at the specific environmental barriers they face and how that intersects with the disability," Jannarone said. For example, a student with a mobility problem might have difficulty navigating the steep hill on Dickson Street near Kimpel Hall. CEA would work with that student to come up with a plan either utilizing alternative campus transportation resources or recommending a different route using a less hilly ramp near the business college.
The first step in receiving necessary accommodation is registration. "It's not like K-12 where the school is obligated to identify the disability and then accommodate it," Jannarone said. "Students have to ask for accommodation."
All documents for the registration process are available online at CEA's Web site. Once registered, students receive letters for their professors explaining their disabilities and needs. But it's up to the students to make their accommodation needs known to their professors.
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