EXPLORING BARRIERS TO CAMPUS SPACE AND RESOURCES: IS OUR CAMPUS ADA COMPLIANT?

ABSTRACT

Due to the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, campuses are required to provide equal access and reasonable accommodations for students, staff, and faculty with disabilities. While most institutions of higher education have made a good-faith effort to comply with ADA guidelines, one does not have to look hard to find remaining areas of neglect. It is critical to understand that ADA compliance does not fall primarily on the Office Disability Services (ODS), but it is the responsibility of the entire institution. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze ADA compliance on the campus of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in a southern city in the United States. The purpose of this project is to assess the resources and campus space for disabled students, faculty, and staff. This project ultimately wants to determine whether this university is an ADA-compliant campus and if it is fully inclusive.