Thursday, February 16,1995
jhrend accessibility questioned
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iginaiiy built house and is unaccessible to people in
?, often meetings are planned where the financial aid
person and meet them.
a quarter of a million dollars. You
can't just go get it You have to go
through the bureaucracy and that
takes a long time. You can get into
Reed, there is reasonable access."
According to Mboto, the staff is
aware of the accessibility problems.
She said that they often will go to
the person instead of making the
person come to them.
"We are aware of the problems.
Glenhill Farmhouse, for it being
originally built as a house and a old
house at that, it is not accessible to
people in wheelchairs. We plan
st doors on campus can be
doors in the Reed Building
f times a day. (Right) The
*ven and often make it hard
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meetings where the financial aid
workers physically go to the person
and meet him."
Mboto added that Behrend has
plans for improvement in the future.
"We’re working with what we
have with plans to improve. We are
concerned with the future, not with
just Emerson, but for the other
students."
The University is also waiting for
results of an ADA survey. Ream
said that the survey was to see if
Behrend complied with regulations.
"Last year in November the
facilities were surveyed, including
the restrooms to see if they
complied with ADA regulations.
That data was fed back to
University Park. The University
will be looking at the deficiencies to
work on at a system-wide basis.
We are still waiting on the results,"
Ream said.
Features
Behrend is riddled with stairs that plague
wheelchairs.
Mboto said that Penn State
realizes that there are students with
disablities at Behrend and
understand their problem.
"We are sensitive to other
students. We have blind students,
students with impaired hearing, and
other student's with mobility
problems. We help them based on
their need. We do not have a
department of Students with
Disabilities. We have me. We can
only work within the structure that
is Penn State," Mboto said.
In regards to the future, Mboto
"You have to go through the bureaucracy
and that takes a long time. You can get
Into Reed, there Is reasonable access.”
- Ngozi Mboto
feels that rationality must be
adapted.
Mboto continued, "Contractors
are coming in to tell us what we can
do. It will not happen this
semester, it will probably not
happen in the 95-96 semester, but
gradually you will see changes, not
drastic ones, but they will add up."
"We have to be realistic. Looking
at our environment, what can we
possibly do? We don't want to
destroy the environment
completely. Ambience is part of
Behrend's charm," she said.
Photos and Story
by R. Carl Campbell 111
Page 11