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.
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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.
There’s help.
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