The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It protects the rights of people with disabilities and ensures equal access to all aspects of public life, including school, jobs, and transportation. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 specifically prohibits disability based discrimination in education, including college.
As a disabled person, I don’t want to be considered an “inspiration” just for existing and navigating a world that was not built to accommodate me. I wasn’t given a choice, and I just want to exist like every other student does. I’d prefer it if I could be stressed about having too much homework and wondering how I’m going to pull off finals, not whether my wheelchair is going to fit in the bathrooms.
After requesting an accessible button to be installed for the men’s bathroom on the second floor of building F, one was eventually added. However, the women’s bathroom remained without a button. “You’d think they would do both at the same time to make it easy,” Gomez said.
This is a common complaint of the building, as the steps within Old Main are uneven and fairly large. This shift from classrooms not only supports the fact that the building is inaccessible, but also brings to attention the lack of overall accessibility on campus.
Through my work with Access-ABLE and Accessibility Leadership Fellows, I’ve fought to dismantle the systemic barriers that leave disabled students isolated and excluded. However, the responsibility of this work cannot fall on students alone. Notre Dame must take institutional action to ensure that disabled students aren’t left behind.
Stark said she finds it hard to navigate around her campus when peers leave items on sidewalks in the middle of her path. “I have seen inconsiderate behavior from other students,” Stark said. “On the sidewalk, there’s parking for the VEO bikes and scooters, but they are just left in the middle of the sidewalk.”
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
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