This month marks the 10th anniversary of landmark legislation that made it easier for people with disabilities to travel, visit their local library, eat in a restaurant, buy lottery tickets and even have a view from the top of the Empire State Building.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is legislation aimed at remedying the history of pervasive discrimination against people with disabilities by mandating the removal of physical barriers and protecting the rights of the estimated 54 million people with disabilities in this country.
Over the last decade, the ADA has forced car rental companies to provide automobiles with foot controls; has challenged broad mental health inquiries on applications for professional licenses; has attacked discrimination in pension and retirement benefits; has provided individuals with reasonable accommodations on the job and at school; and has guaranteed that people with disabilities become part of the mainstream of the American economy.
"Penn State was working to ensure that people with disabilities could take advantage of all the University has to offer long before the ADA was enacted," said Bill Ritzman, Penn State's coordinator of ADA programs.
The University's commitment to an inclusive educational environment actually dates back to the end of World War I, according to Ritzman. In 1919, a social organization for disabled veterans was founded at Penn State and the group held annual events each year to raise funds for campus projects. Over the years, Congress has passed various legislative acts aimed at protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, but the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 marks the greatest achievement of the disability rights movement. The act prohibited programs that received federal funds from discriminating against "otherwise qualified handicapped" individuals. The ADA of 1990 actually extends the requirements of the 1973 act.
In 1973, John Oswald, who was president of the University, appointed a committee to assess the needs at Penn State and make recommendations that would bring the University into full compliance.
"The committee was an interesting challenge, given the broad guidelines of the law," said Ray Murphy, vice president for Student Affairs under Oswald and chair of the 1973 committee. "What I remember most was the dedication and devotion the committee members had to the work."
Murphy said the architectural barriers, particularly in historic buildings, were challenging. The committee initially focused on eliminating barriers in essential buildings. Murphy said that to make all buildings accessible, the committee agreed to bend to the individual needs of those using the buildings.
"We decided that given the differences of people, we would adjust to the individual, not to stereotypes of people with disabilities," he said.
One of the recommendations to come out of the committee was the creation of an office to serve the needs of people with disabilities. The Office for Disability Services which has grown in scope and size since 1979 is now headed by Bill Welsh. Over the years, Penn State has conducted a number of self-studies of its programs, services and facilities to make sure they comply with ADA guidelines. University officials also have viewed the ADA as an opportunity to educate the University community about disability issues.
"National statistics show a dramatic increase in the number of students with disabilities who are pursuing higher levels of education as a result of more opportunities available to them by the enactment of the ADA," Welsh said. "At Penn State, the number of students with disabilities has almost doubled since the act was passed in 1990."
Currently, about 1,600 students with disabilities have registered with the Office for Disability Services -- more than 900 at University Park and approximately 700 at other locations. In addition, technology has greatly impacted disabled students' access to information.
"Societal and attitudinal biases need to change to recognize the abilities of this population," Welsh said.
Since the inception of the ADA, Penn State has allocated more than $4 million for barrier removal projects from existing facilities. A University Access Committee, formed in 1994, is charged with overseeing compliance with ADA guidelines. Fifty-four barrier removal projects have been completed at University Park and 18 are currently in progress. The UAC is chaired by Jim Lettiere, manager of space planning and management in the Office of Physical Plant. Lettiere, who has been involved with the ADA at Penn State from the start, said the state has released $8 million to the University for additional ADA enhancements to existing facilities.
"Twenty-six buildings have been targeted for barrier removal projects that are expected to begin later this year and be completed by December 2001," Lettiere said. "These funds will be used to make significant access improvements to buildings such as Grange, Forum, Ferguson, Ag Engineering, Burrows, the Pavilion Theatre, Hosler, Forest Resources and Schwab Auditorium."
While Ritzman sees the vast progress Penn State has already made to its physical barriers, he knows the University will face new challenges brought on by the Internet and the increasing number of services that require the use of technology.
"In addition, the different types of disabilities that we are seeing are increasing, such as mental health issues and learning disabilities," he said. "But I like to reflect on what two people who have made early contributions at Penn State shared with me. Both Ray Murphy and Charles Ness, who provided access to materials at Pattee Library particularly for those with sight loss, said essentially the same thing: we must tailor our services to the individual with the disability. We can't generalize or treat all people the same and the differences among people must be valued and addressed.
"I believe that the majority of people I work with share this philosophy," Ritzman said. "If Penn State continues to follow the tradition of putting people first, we can't help but succeed."
Penn State plans to celebrate the first decade of this historic civil rights legislation by hosting a reception in The Nittany Lion Inn at University Park on Monday, July 31. The reception will provide an opportunity to recognize the numerous people at Penn State who have had an impact on making programs, facilities and services more accessible for those with disabilities. If you know of someone who was involved with promoting equal access for people with disabilities or if you would like more information on the event, call Ritzman at (814)-863-0471 or e-mail wwr1@psu.edu.