Summary of Sept. 30, 2014 Town Hall Meeting

Following is a brief summary of the Town Hall meetings on disability and accessibility, held Sept. 30, 2014. Attendance was strong — around 70 at noon, and about 60 at night. Your support and participation is truly appreciated. 

Thank you to Joyce Stern, Autumn Wilke, President Raynard S. Kington, and others who helped answer many good and thoughtful questions.

Discussions were overwhelmingly respectful. Among the topics mentioned:

• Exactly what is meant by the terms disability, accommodation, accessibility, and universal design
• The importance of not using abelist language and using person-first descriptions
• The need to not make assumptions about the presence or severity of a disability based on external appearances
• The need to be able to talk about disability and not shy away from the topic
• Accommodation in the classroom and what both students and professors can do in cooperation with Academic Advising
• Keep in mind that disability is not, strictly speaking, a deficit; people with disabilities perceive the world differently, and their perspectives enrich this community
• The need to put in place procedures to assist those with disabilities in emergency situations
• Web and computer accessibility
• The need to establish checklist of resources of campus spaces
• On whom does the responsibility fall to note disabilities, students or professors?