ASOSU exposes ability differences

Accessibilty Awareness Week shows difficulties students with disabilities face getting around

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Posted: 5/23/08

You may be wondering how difficult is it to get around campus in a wheelchair. ASOSU offered students the opportunity to test this question this past week.

Every day of Accessibility Awareness Week had a theme. Monday focused on hearing disabilities, Tuesday on visual disabilities, Wednesday on physical disabilities and Thursday on learning disabilities.

"We're just trying to get the OSU student body more aware about what students with disabilities face," said Francesca Guralnick, a junior in political science and member of the ASOSU Accessibility Task Force.

ASOSU had a booth set up outside of Snell Hall during the week, where they gave away free food and informed students about the difficulties that disabled students face.

"I think that's pretty cool," said Abe Hogle, a sophomore in civil engineering. "Nobody really thinks about what it's like for disabled people."

"Our goal is to get students to stop and think about it for a second," said Megan Beltz, a junior in philosophy, "It's really hard for a student with a disability."

Beltz is also the director of the ASOSU Accessibility Task Force.

"The task force has a constant goal to make OSU more accessible to all students," Beltz said.

The task force is working to put up maps in the front of all campus buildings showing where the exits and bathrooms can be found.

"The maps aren't just for disabled people," said Beltz, "They're there to help everyone."

Current services available to disabled students include class note-takers, rental wheelchairs, Braille books in the library and computers that can read aloud.

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