MAKING PROGRAMS ACCESSIBLE
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive national mandate designed to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, breathing, working and learning. Examples include mobility, visual, and hearing impairments, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, psychological disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Programs are required to address the highly individualized needs of people with disabilities. Since there is no single all-encompassing description of a person with a disability, programs must address access needs on an individual basis. Listed below are suggestions to improve access for people with various types and degrees of disabilities.
- Include a general statement in all of your publications and announcements communicating to people with disabilities that they are welcome to your program. The statement may read “Access provided for people with disabilities. Call (person or office) by (date) for specific requests.”
- For persons with limited or no vision, offer printed materials in alternative formats, such as large print, Braille, audio, or electronic versions.
- Communicate the availability of Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) for people attending your programs. One common ALD, the FM system, is a small transmitter that amplifies the speech of the speaker while eliminating background noise. Call the Disability Resource Center to get information about reserving or purchasing an FM system if one of your program participants requests one.
- Advertise that a sign language interpreter is available upon request to provide access to people who are Deaf. Call the DRC to schedule the services of a staff interpreter for academic classes. For other events, call the DRC to receive information on locating a qualified freelance interpreter.
- Use captioned media when presenting videos. Captioning provides access to videos by displaying auditory information in printed form on the screen, giving participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing equal access.
- Relocate programs that are architecturally inaccessible. Contact Campus Reservations at (706) 583-8023 or at reserve@uga.edu for assistance in finding an alternate location.
- Secure accessible transportation for programs that use University vehicles. Contact the Automotive Center at (706) 542-7525 for assistance.
What is the ADA?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities.
Are All Buildings Required to be Accessible?
Existing facilities should be evaluated to determine the structural changes required to provide access. If feasible, these changes should be made. The ADA requires that all new facilities be designed according to the ADA accessibility guidelines
Program Access
Although a building is inaccessible, UGA departments must ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from services, programs and activities. Listed below are suggestions to improve what the ADA refers to as “program accessibility” for people who use wheelchairs or have other mobility limitations.
- Advertise in all publications and announcements that you provide programmatic access to your programs for people with limited mobility. Provide the name of a contact person and telephone number for obtaining information about access. A general access statement communicates to people with disabilities that they are welcome to participate in your program. The statement may read “Alternative access will be arranged for people with limited mobility. Call (person or office) by (date) for specific requests.”
- Prioritize selecting accessible location.
- Equip the accessible floor with a campus phone for the person to use to call offices located on inaccessible floors. Check existing and newly installed phones to determine that they are the appropriate height. Include the location of the phone on the building directory. Post phone numbers of offices located on inaccessible floors.
- Provide signs to direct people where to obtain services or get the information they want from programs.
- Internal signs: for buildings with only one accessible floor. Provide accessibility information about your program on existing building directories. If your building does not have a directory, request one through Accessibility and Testing.
- External signs: for buildings with no access. Provide outside signs either directing people to an outside phone line or an accessible building where they can obtain the information they need. The phone line would automatically ring in a designated office in the inaccessible building. A representative from that building would then meet the person at an accessible location.
- Network with offices on the first floor of your building and with offices in accessible buildings in the vicinity to arrange for an accessible meeting room with privacy.
- Report barriers to access and make requests for ADA improvements through the Advisory Group for Facilities Accessibility.
- Contact the Registrar’s Office at 706-542-4040 or at classrooms@uga.edu for Academic Scheduling. Campus Reservations can provide assistance in finding an alternate location for events that are not related to an academic course and can be reached at 706-583-8020 or at reservations@uga.edu.
- Provide access to all departmental information and resources e.g., books, bulletin board notices. This may entail sending a catalog of resources to patrons.
For more information contact:
Accessibility and Testing
The University of Georgia
Clark Howell Hall
Athens, Georgia 30602-3338
(706) 542-8719 (voice)
(706) 542-7719 (fax)