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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2000)
Accessibility continued from page 1 through legislation. “Probably the best thing that the ADA has done is to raise the level of awareness,” Oregon ADA Pro gram Coordinator Denise Spiel man said. “People are now starting to realize that people with disabili ties are people first; they deserve the same rights as everyone else.” Although there has been an in crease in awareness over the past 10 years, perhaps one of the biggest problem areas with the ADA is the lack of knowledge. “A lot of times businessmen don’t understand that they need to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities,” Spiel man said. According to Spielman, people tend to shy away from making ac commodations because they assume that it will be a big cost to make the appropriate accommodations. “In actuality the costs are usual ly under $500,” Spielman said. “People also don’t realize that tax cjredits are available to small busi nesses to help defray the costs.” The National Institute on Dis ability and Rehabilitation Research has established 10 regional centers across the country to provide infor mation, training and technical as sistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. “These sites provide tons of material on how the laws are en forced, information telling people with disabilities what their rights are and site evaluations, which will tell agencies how they can most effectively comply with ADA regulations,” Spielman said. As well as being seen at the na tional and state level, the effects of the ADA are also apparent in the Eu gene community and campus areas. “A significant amount of city funds go towards accessibility projects," said Mary Feldman, ADA coordinator for the city of Eu gene. “Two of the biggest projects have been increasing accessibility at the Hult Center and City Hall. We have also added hundreds of curved ramps around the city.” According to Feldman, LTD and other city agencies were addressing accessibility issues even before the ADA imposed its regulations. “What the ADA has done is brought more focus and public no tice to the issues,” Feldman said. “The act is evening the playing field for people with disabilities.” The effects of the ADA can also be seen on the University campus. “This act has increased aware ness all over the place,” said Hilary Gerdes of the University’s Disabili ty Services. “It has also given us opportunities to examine what we are doing and what we aren’t do ing for our students and visitors.” According to Gerdes, the biggest impact of the act can be seen with museums, libraries and historical buildings. “It has made us become more creative ... figuring out how we will make a historical building ac cessible without changing it.” Classroom accommodations are also being made on campus, lead ing to increased awareness of dis abilities to faculty members. “The ADA has created opportu nities for individuals who prior to were not afforded those opportuni ties,” said Molly Firois, also of Dis ability Services. “But there still needs to be more education to the general public and the community about people with disabilities.” For more information on cam pus, call Disability Services at 346 3211. For more information on projects concerning disabilities in the city of Eugene call 682-5177. For information technical assis tance from one of the regional cen ters across the country, call toll free 1-800-949-4232. FULL TIME SUMMER EMPLOYMENT Advertising Sales $300 to $400 a Week - Commissions The Universitx of Oregon Telephone Directory Needs Sales People. Sales Experience A Plus But Not Necessary. Enthusiastic, Goal-oriented Students For Well-paying Summer Job! Internships Possible Must Have Dependable Automobile Gy Publications 1-800-288-3044 V Ask For Gary Voyles Tuition hike continued from page 1 Final budgetary decisions for the 2001-03 biennium won’t be available until this time next year, Bruce said. He assured that for the 2000-01 fiscal portion of the biennium, the 1996 tuition freeze would remain in effect with any in-state under graduate increases in tuition be ginning in 2002-03. Portland State University stu dent and state board member Tim Young explained that since 1990 tuition in Oregon has risen by 80 percent, which led to the imple mentation of tuition freezes throughout the state. “In conversations I’ve been a part of it appears unlikely that stu dents will be organizing around another tuition freeze,” he said. “In my humble opinion it’s been great PR for the Oregon Legisla ture, and I wouldn’t be unhappy to see that continue, but there are other battles to be fought.” OSA Communications Director John Wykoff indicated that this re cent turn of events comes as no surprise. “It will be our goal in the legis lature to help pass the OUS budg et to assure that the tuition in crease isn’t any higher. We’re cautious about it, but our board likely won’t be opposing an in crease that is inflationary like this.” From the State Board, the budg et proceeds to the governor’s of fice and then to the 2000 Oregon Legislature for further considera tion and approval. 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