Spring Break
Office of Disability Services created to improve facilities
Issue date: 4/3/08
Last semester, Hopkins sociology graduate student Christian Villenas proposed a project to his Sociology and Disabilities class: Assess how difficult it would be for a physically disabled person to simply enter a building on campus.
Six groups of students found that some of the most frequented buildings on campus, including the MSE Library, Levering Hall and Hodson Hall, were almost inaccessible to those who use wheelchairs or crutches.
"The purpose of the project was to put the issue of disability in a sociological context," Villenas said. "I wanted the students to see that societal institutions have an immense impact on disability."
Oftentimes disability is not the cause of physical ailment but it is society that is disabling, Villenas explained.
Villenas's project has helped bring to light just some of the problems associated with a lack of accommodations for the physically disabled. He presented his findings to a disability advisory committee last month and is currently awaiting a response.
The Office of Student Disability Services is a relatively new department at Hopkins. Located in Garland Hall, the office was created to improve accommodations for the disabled and to ensure that the University is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Under this law, the University has an obligation to ensure di sabled people have an opportunity to learn.
"There should more classes like this. Students need to be more aware of these issues," said Richard Sanders, director of the Office of Student Disability Services.
The University currently has 165 students registered as having a physical ailment or psychological disorder. Over the last six to seven years, the number of students with disabilities has increased eight-fold. Physical disabilities are not the only types of disabilities that the office manages; learning disabilities make up a majority of the disabled students. Approximately 60 percent of these students have learning disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Six groups of students found that some of the most frequented buildings on campus, including the MSE Library, Levering Hall and Hodson Hall, were almost inaccessible to those who use wheelchairs or crutches.
"The purpose of the project was to put the issue of disability in a sociological context," Villenas said. "I wanted the students to see that societal institutions have an immense impact on disability."
Oftentimes disability is not the cause of physical ailment but it is society that is disabling, Villenas explained.
Villenas's project has helped bring to light just some of the problems associated with a lack of accommodations for the physically disabled. He presented his findings to a disability advisory committee last month and is currently awaiting a response.
The Office of Student Disability Services is a relatively new department at Hopkins. Located in Garland Hall, the office was created to improve accommodations for the disabled and to ensure that the University is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Under this law, the University has an obligation to ensure di sabled people have an opportunity to learn.
"There should more classes like this. Students need to be more aware of these issues," said Richard Sanders, director of the Office of Student Disability Services.
The University currently has 165 students registered as having a physical ailment or psychological disorder. Over the last six to seven years, the number of students with disabilities has increased eight-fold. Physical disabilities are not the only types of disabilities that the office manages; learning disabilities make up a majority of the disabled students. Approximately 60 percent of these students have learning disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Anna Reed
posted 3/16/09 @ 1:26 PM EST
Thanks to author! I like articles like this about , very interesting.
Maria Ricard
posted 3/21/09 @ 2:25 AM EST
A think this new storie have some mistakes.
Mary
posted 3/22/09 @ 10:53 AM EST
My daughter is presently a freshman at JHU. While she has no disabilities, I am reliant on a wheelchair. It has been difficult visiting the campus as wheelchair accessibility is not clearly marked (if it exists at all in certain areas), and many of the staff do not seem to be knowledgeable about any accessibility. (Continued…)
Katherine Scarpa
posted 4/16/09 @ 6:18 PM EST
Nice review! Thanks!
davidmush
Order Dissertation
posted 11/14/09 @ 5:18 PM EST
Great news I must confess.
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