Opinion
 

UH blind to disabled students

By Marcus Edwards

Ever felt forgotten?

UH is spending $47 million on a M.D. Anderson Memorial Library renovation that will serve most students. "Most," however, unfortunately indicates that certain members of the UH community have essentially been left out of the plan when it comes to accessing the library.

Dave Irvin, associate vice president for plant operations at UH, said University policy is to provide access to buildings for disabled students by means of power-assisted doors. The Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Irvin, does not mandate power-assisted door openers, yet UH provides this equipment as necessary at certain entrances. The multimillion-dollar library addition, however, is missing the power-assisted door openers needed by many patrons, and has been since its opening.

Diane Gwamanda, head of access services for the University, pointed out from her discussion with individuals associated with UH and the contractors that the accessible entrances were simply forgotten. Given this information, one could easily understand why certain members of the student body might feel overlooked.

The new library opened up in March and the mistake became apparent soon after, Gwamanda said. However, as of the second week of June the doors still need to be propped open to provide equal access because the power-assisted doors have yet to be installed. This quasi solution is problematic because the door props easily get dislodged and the doors often shut, limiting access for disabled students.

Since the order for the missing door parts could theoretically have been made by phone, then shipped and installed soon after, a real solution consistent with UH policy could have been in place months ago. One may wonder if it is simply a matter of conviction. Do UH administrators truly intend to provide reasonable access for individuals with disabilities, and how willing are they to follow up on it? 

For this disabled student, their forgetfulness isnit a good sign.

Marcus Edwards, a guest columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at dccampus@mail.uh.edu.