UUP Press Releases
CONTACT: Denyce Duncan Lacy or Don Feldstein at (518) 640-6600
Lacy’s cell number is (518) 265-3114
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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UUP Disability Committee Report
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Albany, Oct. 29, 2004 – Disabled students and faculty find it difficult, if not impossible, to perform efficiently and effectively at most State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, according to a survey by United University Professions (UUP).
UUP’s Disability Rights and Concerns Committee released the survey results today, the end of Disability Employment Awareness Month. The committee surveyed 234 UUP members with disabilities during the 2000-01 academic year to assess SUNY’s compliance with the federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA, which became effective in July 1992, prohibits discrimination in employment and requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodation” to disabled workers. It also requires state and local governments to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all programs, services and activities; to provide access to all buildings; and to communicate effectively with people who have hearing, vision or speech impairments.
UUP found that, despite some improvements since the ADA became law, too many of SUNY’s 29 state-operated campuses don’t comply.
“SUNY has made some progress in achieving accessible campuses but people with disabilities still report many places and programs that are difficult or impossible to access,” said UUP President William E. Scheuerman. “The general picture is very uneven.”
Sara Knapp of SUNY Albany, committee co-chair, added: “Our report reflects the concerns of faculty and professional employees, but has much wider implications in terms of the increasing number of students with disabilities who want and should be able to attend SUNY.”
Knapp said that while SUNY has been successful in making buildings accessible to people with disabilities, safety and barrier deficiencies could still be identified on 60 percent of its campuses. Common infrastructure problems included poor maintenance of floor and road surfaces; lack of or poorly designed sidewalks; insufficient handicapped and van-accessible parking; presence of chemicals and allergens in the air; inadequate walkways, ramps, curb cuts, audible walk/light systems and entrances; lack of accessible restrooms; and absence of elevators.
Deficiencies in the classroom included the lack of listening and amplification devices and lack of Web accessibility for the visually impaired. Many building emergency evacuation plans also fail to account for disabled students and employees, the survey found.
“There is a serious lack of needed accommodations for disabled employees at SUNY,” said committee Co-Chair David Dubois of Empire State College. “Stinginess in providing job-enhancing accommodations is ‘penny-wise and pound-foolish’ and translates into a loss of productivity to both SUNY and the employees and students who need them.”
Based on its findings, the Disability Rights and Concerns Committee has urged UUP’s 29 chapters to create local committees to work with campus administrations, the Faculty Senates and disabled members of the SUNY community to fully comply with the ADA.
Scheuerman said UUP will also press the SUNY Board of Trustees and chancellor to fund a professional evaluation of all University facilities and to provide the money needed to implement the ensuing recommendations.
- UUP represents more then 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York State-operated campuses, and is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT).
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