CMU's Commitment to Accessibility
Central Michigan University's commitment to providing access for all students and faculty began in the early 1960's with the formation of a Disabilities Advisory Committee. That commitment grew over the years and with the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an aggressive program to assure access to both facilities and programs has been undertaken. An ADA Task Force was established and after completing its self evaluation report was converted to a steering committee to oversee, on a decentralized basis, the university's disability compliance effort. Over the last few years nearly a million dollars in renovations have occurred. These include creation of a "critical path" designed to minimize outdoor travel between buildings particularly during inclement weather, providing electronic door openers throughout campus, creating lab stations that are wheelchair accessible, and renovation of restrooms and residence hall rooms to assure compliance with the ADA.
The university has expanded the Office of Student Disability Services to include a full-time director, a full-time assistant director - learning disabilities, and a coordinator of adaptive technologies. This office assists students with disabilities with services such as readers, scribes and special accommodations.
Accessibility and Disability Advisory Council (ADAC)
The advisory committee, now the Accessibility and Disability Advisory Council, continues to provide training to faculty and staff to facilitate compliance with ADA directives and to maximize students' abilities to participate in university programs, services, and activities. Handbooks have been created to assist both faculty, staff and students identify the resources available to meet special needs.
ADAC Charge
The Accessibility and Disability Advisory Council (ADAC) is charged with promoting reasonable universal access to CMU facilities, programs, services and activities. ADAC is responsible for making recommendations to assure the university's legal compliance, providing on-going education to the university community and promoting widespread support and sensitivity for access for all. ADAC serves as an advisory body to the President through the Disability Coordinator.
Committee Goals
- Reorganize and clarify the role of the Disability Coordinator and ADAC, and communicate changes to CMU community.
- Conduct a survey to assess the campus climate and perceptions related to accessibility and accommodations. Analyze results and make recommendations as deemed appropriate. Report results and resulting changes to CMU community.
- Conduct an audit of buildings and programs. This has not been done since 1993 and we need to know where we stand so we can identify our critical issues and make recommendations to improve accessibility on campus.
- Identify issues raised at the recent Kincaid conference and make recommendations on areas where we want to follow up. Share recommendations with University community.
- Continue educational efforts through web site, periodic announcements and other programming. Longer range planning includes implementation of an educational on-line component.
- Enhance communication with the University community.
CMU's commitment to accessibility extended to staff and faculty include special parking permits, reasonable accommodations, and similar efforts to assure that members of the university community can maximize their accessibility to university programs and activities.