UHDS News

Able Student Alliance claims Accessible University Initiative Task Force not meeting needs

Jeffrey Evans, head of the Able Student Alliance Executive Committee has been authorized by the organization to take any necessary legal steps to force Oregon State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ASA alleges that the Accessible University Initiative Task Force, created to help improve the accessibility of the campus for all students, has not sufficiently done its job. The ASA cites numerous ADA violations on campus as evidence that the university’s administration has not adequately addressed the issue of disabled accessibility.

The ASA plans to initiate legal action against the university to force OSU into making campus modifications that make attending class an equal experience for all students. The ASA requests the university to formulate a monetary plan and timeline to modify existing campus buildings to fully comply with the ADA. Failure to create the timeline and monetary plan would result in the ASA filing a lawsuit that would freeze federal assistance, grants, loans and work-study to the university.

Evans, explaining the ASA’s justification in seeking legal recourse on the matter stated, “The bureaucrats screwed up this campus.”

The ASA chose to remove itself from AUITF after the AUITF voting structure was modified to allow university administrators a vote. According to Evans, the change in the voting structure limited the number of people with disabilities serving on AUITF to a possible, but not guaranteed, five members out of an 18-member task force. Evans feels this action was akin to a coup, and that people without disabilities should not be making decision for those with disabilities.

“It’s a shame there is fallout-conflict portrayal,” said Dan Larson, associate services director of University Housing and Dining and Chair of the AUITF, about ASA’s problems with the university. “AUITF benefits from ASA’s contributions. Collaboration is far better than being combative.” …

Read more from The Daily Barometer. (Published Oct. 21, 2011)