University Park agrees to fund elevator replacement project “ELEVATOR,” continued from pg. 1 South estimated that approx imately 11 students are currently affected by the elevator, being either wheelchair-bound or unable to use the stairs to reach other floors. In 1972, Labor and Industry’s Industrial Board granted a tem porary approval to Capitol Cam pus to allow use of the elevator by handicapped persons. And, while this “temporary measure” has been sustained for the past decade, the elevator has apparent ly been operating against U.S. standards for over three years. The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1977 passed regulations requiring federally supported institutions to make all necessary structural changes by June, 1980, to bring buildings up to current federal standards for accessibility. “If the existing elevator is not sufficient, then either the elevator must be replaced or the pro grams must be moved.” James Benedict Department of Health and Human Services Those standards require elevators to have automatic doors with sensing devices, control panels no higher than four feet from the floor and raised or not ched information adjacent to the control buttons. Also required is an emergency telephone accessible by persons in wheelchairs. A check by Capitol Times showed the present structure has no emergency telephone, control * buttons that are no lower than 51 inches from the floor and “open” and “close” buttons that are 61 inches from the floor. The doors have no sensing device and no automatic device for closing. The Rehabilitation Act, as amended, requires that “any pro gram in any building must be physically accessible,” said James Benedict, Branch Chief in the Of fice for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Any federal funds given to state governments or any other entity such as nursing homes and schools,” that are given for pro gram support, require those pro grams to be accessible to all par ticipants in the program, he said. “If the existing elevator is not sufficient,” Benedict explain ed, “then either the elevator must be replaced or the programs must be moved.” Although the actual starting date of the construction is unknown, the fact that the pro ject will leave the Olmsted Building without an operational elevator for an undetermined period of time raises questions about the ability of handicapped Students to reach upper level floors if construction fs done dur ing the school term. “Handicapped students should confront the dean of students to find a means of temporary ac cessibility” >f the construction is done during the term, said Bob Waterstradt, Equal Opportunity Specialist on the Regional Technical Assistant staff of the U.S. Department of Education. “The laws (of accessibility) are still in place*” he said. “The school would not be forced to close down the present structure, due to the fact that an upgrade is being planned.” “That idea is ludicrous,” he said. “If that were to happen,” he said, “it would not bode well for Penn State.” “If the school were not plann ing to replace the (freight) elevator,” Waterstradt said, “the handicapped students would have two alternatives: to complain (to the Department of Education) as individuals, or a class action complaint would have to be filed with the Office of Civil Rights.” Such a class action complaint would lead to an official in- vestigation. According to Waterstradt, the time period bet ween the beginning of the in- . vestigation and the sending of a letter describing the results to the school is 90 days. Schools that do not comply within 225 days, according to Waterstradt, would have their cases turned over to the Justice Department. * Call Days Evenings ft Weekends WM KAPLAN (717) 236-8117 Educational Center 833 N. 13TH STREET " I sneuusrs'smcn'tn ALLENTOWN,PA , 18102 for Information About Other Centers In More Than 105 Major US Cities ft Abroad OUTSIOt N Y. STATE Cfttl TOU f«C 1002231?*2 SELF SERVIC OPEN 7 DAY CORNER MILROY AND GRAYSON Ri AT CHAMBERS HILL LIGHT 321 MILROY ROAD HARRISBURG, PA 17111 566-6012 IF NO ANSWER, PHONE 236-7283 Low Prices Burglar Alarms STORE FURNITURE-CAR-MOTi Storage units for as li Make room for a Store extra st “Almost all schools comply im mediately,” he said. Although he said he was “very glad” that Penn State has decided to replace the elevator, he said the handicapped students on cam pus “need to get together and ask what they will do while the hew elevator is under construction.” $59.85 Thrifty’s Weekender rates put your weekend on wheels. From Friday Noon to Monday Noon Rate is for any available subcompact, compact, or midsize car. Thrifty xl RENT-A-CAR 620 SECOND STREET HIGHSPIRE, PA 944-7828
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