The alumni base at DePauw University provides us with one of the largest endowments in the United States.
The most recent in the slew of buildings named after generous DePauw donors will be Hoover Hall, scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2016. But who’s going to fix the lack of handicap accessibility in Asbury Hall? As of now, the building is not boasting any kind of handicap accessibility.
This isn’t the first time a DePauw student has gotten fired up on the subject. In the March 3, 2015 issue of The DePauw, Susie Schmank wrote a similar opinions article, raising points specifically about handicap accessibility in Asbury. There is no elevator, or a ramp of any sort to get up the stairs.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university is technically within the Standards of the ADA:
“In providing program access, city governments are not required to take any action that would result in a fundamental alteration to the nature of the service, program, or activity in question or that would result in undue financial and administrative burdens...” -Chapter 28 C.F.R. Section 35.150(a)(3) of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Somebody is in charge of making the decision to not install handicap accessible features to Asbury Hall, and they’re allowed to say no if they feel it costs too much money. But we can still construct an entirely new dining hall? Who is in charge of making that call for DePauw University? Do they know about Hoover Hall’s construction?
Not only is DePauw aware of the fact Asbury Hall isn’t handicap accessible, they’re claiming bringing it up to code will either ruin the whole building, change the nature of “the service, program, or activity in question” or be too expensive. Yet, there is money to make a new dining area, as opposed to improving Asbury Hall, and there is a clause in the act designed to help people with disabilities which allows this to happen on a technicality.
Am I suggesting we launch protest to change the ADA? Not particularly, but what I am saying is that whoever is in charge of making this questionable decision should issue a statement regarding why there is money to build a new dining hall, but not money to fix Asbury Hall.
Maybe there is a plan to update Asbury Hall. While the university made a few improvements over the summer, it isn’t enough. I haven’t seen a sincere effort to fix the building, and it annoys me as a student to see money sent in the wrong places.
-Jackson is a sophomore English writing major from Cloverdale, Indiana.