Throughout October, OU is hosting a number of events commemorating the the 25th Anniversary of the ADA.
Dianne Bouvier said in the 25 years since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. has moved to include those with disabilities, but more needs done.
“(Ohio University is) conscious about making structures that are more accessible, and we’re conscious about how we present classes so that they are more accessible,” Bouvier, Ohio University’s director of equal opportunity and accessibility, said. “We’re becoming more conscious of what we need to do.”
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the city of Athens and OU have events lined up for the month of October.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in circumstances ranging from employment to public accommodation.
Carey Busch, assistant dean for student accessibility, said in an email the act provides a framework advocates can use to help expand accessibility.
“The 25th Anniversary of this legislation provides an important reminder for us to examine in what ways we are, or are not, meeting both the spirit and letter of the law so that we may recommit and prioritize our work to honor the intent of the legislation,” Busch said via email.
Bouvier said the university has planned several free and public of events throughout the month.
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Some events, such as the Dancing Wheels Company performance Oct. 13 in the Baker Center Theatre, will be entertaining, she said. Bouvier also said the company is composed of dancers both with and without wheelchairs.
The movie Lives Worth Living, following the development of the disability rights movement in the U.S., will be shown in Baker Center 237 on Oct. 16, with a discussion afterward, according to the university’s schedule.
Other events, Bouvier said, are more educational, including three events about the role of technology for those with disabilities and a keynote address from L. Scott Lissner, ADA coordinator for Ohio State University, Oct. 27 in Nelson Commons.
Another educational event, Advancing Accessible and Inclusive Restrooms, happening Oct. 14 in the Living Learning Commons on South Green, will allow students to give the university feedback on designs for a single-user, ADA-compliant, LGBT-friendly, family-friendly restrooms, according to the schedule of events.
Carolyn Lewis, a member of OU President Roderick McDavis’ Presidential Advisory Council on Disability and Accessibility Planning, said that throughout the years OU has made changes to older buildings that weren’t originally accessible, and more buildings are being updated.
“There are a lot of changes being made (at OU) … in new buildings being built, in modifying some of the older buildings and in transportation,” Lewis said. “There have been quite a few steps that the university has taken, but we still have a ways to go.”
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