How to Make Programs Accessible

What is the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive national civil rights mandate designed to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA applies to all institutions of higher education regardless of receipt of Federal funds. For more information, please see Americans with Disabilities.

Who Is Qualified As Disabled?

Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as breathing, learning, seeing, walking and working. Examples include cancer, diabetes, emotional illness, epilepsy, heart disease, HIV, leaning disabilities, muscular dystrophy, orthopedic, speech and hearing impairments, and visual impairment; an individual who has a history of such an impairment or an individual who is perceived by others as having such an impairment (e.g., a burn victim).

Departmental Responsibilities

Programs are required to move beyond the obvious needs of people with mobility impairments and begin to address the highly individualized needs of the entire disabled population. Programs must address access needs on an individual basis since there is no single all-encompassing description of a “disabled person.” Listed below are suggestions to improve access for people with various types and degrees of disabilities.

Program Access

1.               Include a general statement in all of your publications and announcements communicating to people with disabilities that they are welcome to your program. The statement may read “Access provided for people with disabilities. Call (person or office) by (date) for specific requests.”

2.               Offer printed materials in alternate forms. Taped version or large print copies make materials available to people with limited vision.

3.               Communicate to students they are welcome to use Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) for people attending your programs. One common ALD, the FM System, is a small transmitter that amplifies the speech of the speaker while eliminating background noise. A microphone is slipped onto the speaker and the voice is wirelessly transmitted to the student’s hearing device.

4.               Relocate programs that are architecturally inaccessible. Dr. Maggie Martin in Student Development Center (229-391-5135) may be able to assist in finding an alternate location. The Student Center is an accessible building and may have available meeting rooms. Call the Ms. Alma Young in the Information Center at 229-391-5001 for more information or go to http://www.abac.edu/scheduling to reserve a room.

Last updated Friday, February 13, 2009 10:53 AM