10
Wednesday, August 21, 1974
University Daily Kansan
Invalids' Barriers Being Eliminated
For the student in the wheelchair, the University of Kansas used to be an uninviting maze of curbs, stairs and steep inclines.
However, last year the University began eliminating these physical barriers. More than 100 curb cuts were made, and ramps and hand railings were installed in many of the older buildings.
The effort to eliminate architectural barriers from campus has been the responsibility of the University Committee for the Architecturally Handicapped. The chairman of the committee, Robert Harris, teaching assistant in psychology, was confined to a wheelchair for five years because of polio.
Harris, his wife Christine, and Don Whipple, director of architectural services, categorized and researched by computer the aspects of environmental and ar-
architectural barriers. The results of the study have been published in a booklet entitled "Physical Barriers at the University of Kansas."
A past excuse for ignoring the plight of handicapped people at universities, Harris said recently, was that there had been no adequate study made on the problem.
“It’s there in black and white now,” Harris said. “Our study has made clear what is needed and what should be done. We’re counting on the report to make the university itself and the state legislature aware of the problems as they now exist.”
The current University budget has allocated $9,000 for accessibility renovations for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Harris said that most of the $3,000 would be used to renovate the campus art and
theatrical centers, and that Hoch Auditorium, Murphy Hall and Woodruff Auditorium were scheduled for work in the near future.
Next year's preliminary budget of $14,000 for the elimination of architectural barriers includes plans to make residence halls accessible to the handicapped.
Harris said the problem of architectural barriers also affected people who weren't handcapped. Steep grade levels may be difficult for the elderly to climb; service deliveries to certain buildings; and bike riders must ease their bicycles over curbs.
"My wife and I did a survey asking people why the curb cuts were installed," Harris said. "Ninety per cent thought the curb cuts were for the bike riders."
Bus Fares Remain Stable
At the present time, the routes are receiving well-balanced usage, Connors said, and because of this, there aren't any plans to change routes or to expand them.
In spite of higher fuel costs, the Lawrence Bus Co., which serves the University of Kansas campus, will be charging the same fares and offering the same services as it does at Kansas State. It will join John Connors, a member of the Student Senate Transportation Committee.
A nationwide effort to make buildings accessible to the disabled began in 1961 when the federal government established programs that regulate regulations were adopted by the state in 1970, and the University is complying with the regulations in the construction of new campus buildings such as Wescoe Hall, the Garrison Building, the school building and the visual arts center.
The bus company, under contract with the Senate to provide bus service at the University will charge riders $14 for a semester pass and 15 cents for individual travel. Currently, Aaass entitles a person to an unlimited number of rides during the semester.
The realistic situation for KU would be compliance in all categories except for the installation of elevators in the 42 major campus buildings, Harris said. Elevators must meet certain standards, he said, which would make compliance in that category financially unfeasible.
campus; Meadowbrook route—campus to Meadowbrook apartments, West Hills and back to campus; campus express route—serving the campus area; night campus night; and Oliver-Naismith route—campus to Oliver, Naismith and south Lawrence.
Corners said that the bus passes could be on the buses and at the candy counter in the Kansas Union throughout the day. The children chased at a table set up during enrollment.
Connors said bus schedules could be picked up at residence halls, at the Kansas Union, at fraternities and from apartment managers.
The five routes are Gatehouse route—campus to 24th and Ridge Court and back to
According to Connors, the cost of operating the buses has increased $1.50 an mile since 2013. Because the Senate would handle all the company's finances and would pay the owner, Duane Ogle, $10.50 an hour flat rate. So far, he has not paid more than to absorb the higher costs without raising rates.
Harris said the administration had been extremely cooperative in fulfilling these requirements, although there had been a minority opposing allocation of funds because "the budget always has to be cut somewhere."
Cinnors said most of the company's income was derived from passes. He said, however, that the collection of 15-cent individual fares helped to determine the amount of use a particular route was getting.
Many minor changes are being incorporated into the renovation program. Room numbers will now be either in relief or indented and placed at door-handle level, which will allow blind students to know whether they are at the correct room. Room numbers will be installed on more than 48 inches and special international symbols that designate accessible restrooms are now imprinted on doors in new buildings.
The state law doesn't require that older buildings be brought up in the 1970 building schedule.
The committee's booklet lists a series of minimal accessibility requirements for all buildings. These include standards for grade-level entrances, sidewalk curb cuts, entrance clearances and accessible restrooms.
"Many people look at the disabled as if they were their fault, that something was wrong with them as persons," Harris said. "Take the word 'invalid', which means not valid, unworthy. That's bad, but maybe attitudes are changing.
Harris said his research had demonstrated that there wasn't enough awareness of the mobility problems faced by handicapped people.
"It but it takes a long time to change things. If we had a million dollars tomorrow to use, it would still take two or three years to make these changes," he said.
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