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Handicapped on campus:
Questions have been raised as to Behrend's
accessibility for handicapped persons
There have been some question as
to whether or not Penn State-
Behrend is accessible to people with
disabilities. Much of the debate has
been stirred by John Emerson, a
non-traditional computer pro
gramming student who is confined
to a wheelchair because he is
quadriplegic.
"Behrend is a great college with
great faculty and staff," Emerson
said. "But die system simply does
not care. They think this is a joke
and it's not"
Emerson stressed that a major
problem on campus is the lack of
electronic doors on the bathrooms.
He also referred to nearly
everything from the sidewalks on
campus to some of the heights of
bathroom toilets because they do
not meeting ADA (Americans with
Disabilities At) regulations.
ADA, established in 1990, is the
controlling force behind the war to
end discrimination by institutions
towards Americans with
disabilities.
ADA also sets the standards to
which institutions must conform to.
Emerson said that the sidewalks
are a major obstacle he has to
overcome.
"They're in horrible condition and
that is due to the weather
conditions; they're getting worse. I
broke a fork on my wheelchair."
The stairs to the residence halls from the Reed
Building pose a problem for some handicapped
students. Because people in wheelchairs
cannot get the apartments by the stairs,
residents are picked up in Reed lobby via the
county lift program.
Not only do the sidewalks pose
problems, but, according to
Emerson, the maintenance of them
frustrates him as well.
"The sidewalks are too steep and
they don't keep them plowed," he
continued.
"Behrend is a great college with
great faculty and staff. But the
system simply does not work.
They think this is a joke,
and it's not."
- John Emerson
John Ream, Director of
Operations at Behrend said that the
"As soon as the
weather breaks, we are
going to do some work
to address the problem
areas.
- John Ream
Director of Operations
Features
problem does not go unnoticed.
”We have concerns with walking.
As soon as the weather breaks, we
are going to do some work to
address the problem areas," he said.
Another problem that Emerson
cited was the routine of being
picked up by the county lift everv
morning and returning to his
apartment in the evening.
The county lift is separate from
Penn State-Behrend and has to
adhere to a set schedule.
Emerson's main problem with the
program is the schedule. He must
wait in the Reed lobby to be taken
to his apartment.
"Paralyzed people don't have the
same body temperature and I have
to sit inside of the cold Reed
Building waiting for the county lift.
The building is all glass; I'm half
freezing to death. One of these
days I'm going to die in that stupid
building. They need to get a
warmer place to pick me up,"
Emerson said.
Ngozi Mboto, the Minority
Student and Special Programs
Counselor, said that Behrend tries
to help and works on solving
problems quickly.
Thursday, February 16,1995
Glenhill Farmhouse Is the originally built house at
wheelchairs. Because of this, often meetings are j
workers physically go to the person and meet them ,
"Every time that someone
mentions a problem, we send
someone out - usually that same
day."
"It's not that things aren't being
done," Mboto added. "Because
when things are broke they are
fixed. Behrend does not have the
man power to check the doors all
the time, but when they
(maintenance) find out about the
problem, it is taken care of."
Mboto continued, "I agree there
are some problems, like Reed
doesn't have an elevator, but that's
By the push of a button, most doors on campus
opened electronically. These doors in the Reed t
open and close hundreds of times a day. (Rigi
sidewalks on campus are uneven and often make
for students to get around.
Thursday, February 1
Behrend
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ft IP
a quarter of a million dol
can't just go get it Youl
through the bureaucracy
takes a long time. Youcs
Reed, there is reasonable:
According to Mboto, tl
aware of the accessibility
She said that they often
the person instead of mi
person come to them.
"We are aware of the ]
Glenhill Farmhouse, foi
originally built as a house
house at that it is not acc
people in wheelchairs.
effilo