The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made fair treatment of people with physical or mental disabilities the law of the land. It has always been, however, the right thing to do.

At Indiana University, we’re committed to meeting our legal obligation under ADA and our larger duty as a public university. We are determined to be accessible to all qualified students, faculty and staff members.

Later this month, personnel on IU campuses will be asked to begin assessing the progress we have made under ADA and to determine where work still must be done. Through a Web-based survey, units and departments will appraise their programs, services and facilities, to judge how well they meet the needs of disabled students, staff and visitors.

The survey should allow us to find out where we are falling short and to learn from successes that could be emulated university-wide.

The survey is detailed, but the time it takes to complete it will be well spent. We need to examine our practices and our facilities to make certain we are living up to both the letter of the law and the traditional role of IU as a public, accessible institution.

When we discuss ADA issues, we are not only talking about access to classrooms, offices and living spaces. Education doesn’t just happen there. It also happens at cultural and athletic events, at social gatherings, at the ceremonies that bring us together as a community. That’s why our focus must be broad. We are also talking about access to information. It does no good to have services and facilities to meet the needs of disabled people if they aren’t routinely informed about how to find them.

For most of us, it is so easy to overlook the seemingly small inconveniences that can be huge hurdles to someone in a wheelchair or someone who is otherwise disabled. Similarly, those without learning disabilities can only imagine the determination it takes to overcome such a condition to earn a college degree.

A Census Bureau survey found that 26 million Americans have severe disabilities, 56 million have some form of disabilities. At Indiana University, our job is to empower people to fulfill their potential. As a university and as a society, we simply cannot afford to allow any artificial barriers to keep so many people from reaching their dreams.

http://www.indiana.edu/president/

E-mail President Brand at: pres@indiana.edu