SRSU Addresses Accessibility Challenges
By Gisselle Rueda, Skyline Reporter
ALPINE- Sul Ross State University has been criticized for its lack of accessibility on campus and lukewarm compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a civil rights law that protects disabled citizens from discrimination in various areas of public life. Under Title II of the ADA, public universities must meet certain accessibility standards for disabled faculty, staff, and students.
Former ADA committee member and SRSU student Andreas Buttner shared his personal experience and the difficulties he faced navigating the Sul Ross campus. Buttner was left partially paralyzed from a brain surgery and therefore needed accessible facilities. Instead, he experienced elevators that were out of order and emergency phones with connectivity issues. Buttner recalled a moment when he was unable to access a classroom due to an out of service elevator.
Despite these issues, Buttner noted that Sul Ross responded to these concerns by moving a certain classroom to a more accessible area. Buttner also expressed frustration with the university's response time to ADA concerns. He said that work orders took too long to be addressed and that other members of the ADA committee were not as proactive in addressing disability access and safety issues. Buttner also noted that ADA committee meetings should be held more frequently compared to when he was involved. During his time with the committee meetings would only be held once or twice a month.
When questioned about these issues Vice President of Student Affairs Ben Telesca acknowledged concerns raised by students and faculty regarding campus accessibility issues. He assured the Skyline that the university is committed to addressing these matters as promptly as possible, prioritizing work orders based on severity. The following buildings were included on the list of problems created by Buttner regarding a lack of ADA compliance: Wildenthal Library, Morgan University Center, Briscoe Administration, Morelock Academic, Academic & Computer Resource, Lawrence Hall, Warnock Science, and Lobo Village 1.
The issues noted in the list range from lack of automatic doors, needed repairs on elevators, accessible entrances to buildings and facilities, and elevator emergency phoning. While automatic doors are not required by ADA standards, the university is open to exploring options for their installation in certain areas. Elevator safety and emergency phone systems are regularly inspected and maintained.
When Buttner performed a walk-through of the campus to record ADA deficiencies, he sent a grievance form to Student Life. Director of Civic Engagement & Student Assistance Katy Williams responded and stated that Buttner’s claim of Sul Ross not addressing accessibility issues does not mean the university is out of ADA compliance. However, effective communication is a listed requirement for the fulfillment of the Americans with Disabilities Act As for prioritization, Williams also mentioned that Buttner’s concerns were priority; however, the issues Buttner discovered may be dependent on resources (such as hiring contractors or waiting until skilled personnel is available to address certain issues).
“Compliance requires us, not to fix the elevator, but to ensure that class is offered in a location that is accessible for a student in a wheelchair,” Williams said.
To accommodate individuals with disabilities, Sul Ross offers both virtual and in-person options for classes and services. However, due to budgetary constraints and procedural requirements, some repairs and upgrades may take time to complete.
“There is a plan to upgrade…but it will take a little time to implement,” Telesca said.
To report accessibility concerns, individuals can contact the ADA Committee, co-chaired by Mary Schwartze. Residential living students and faculty can also submit work orders through the appropriate channels.
