During the 2011-2012 academic year, COSID conducted a survey open to the entire OSU community in an effort to learn more about the climate at OSU for persons with disabilities, but also to help set direction for the commission.
Survey Questions
Four key questions were asked to survey respondents:
- How can COSID improve inclusion, awareness, and access?
- What resources would help you provide better access for persons with disabilities?
- Have you noticed anything OSU is doing well related to access for persons with disabilities?
- Do you have any other suggestions for COSID?
Survey Results
After an analysis of the results, COSID came to the following recommendations:
Built Environment Access Recommendations
- Develop a dedicated funding source for improvements to the built environment in existing buildings.
- Provide funding for an interior assessment of buildings.
- Develop a comprehensive plan to remediate existing barriers, prioritizing programs, goods, and services that currently do not have access.
- Develop and implement an accessible transportation plan, which could include the development of a paratransit system as well as revisions to the current OSU shuttle route, operating hours, stops, etc.
- Develop an Accessibility Map layer on the online campus map to display accessible parking, entrances, and paths of travel.
- Implement a campus wide signage plan for both interior and exterior spaces, including Braille, which is compliant with the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and OSU Best Practices.
Training, Education, & Awareness Recommendations
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Develop a campus-wide training for faculty and staff around disability issues. It is suggested that this training be mandated through the Office of Human Resources and other relevant departments. Partners in the training could include (but are not limited to):
- Disability Access Services
- Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
- Center for Teaching and Learning
- Training should include information about legal requirements, impacts of disabilities, and should be geared at building awareness and increasing inclusion for people with disabilities at Oregon State University.
- Continue to provide resources to develop the communications around accessibility initiatives, committees, efforts, and availability of resources for the OSU campus community. This could be achieved through funding a marketing and outreach coordinator with responsibilities related to access.
Virtual Environment Access Recommendations
- Continue to support University wide initiatives regarding web, software, and hardware accessibility. Develop a campus-wide training program for instructors and professors to learn how to make their virtual course content accessible.
- Provide the appropriate resources for faculty, staff, and departments to caption multimedia as required in the IT Accessibility Policy.
Student Support Services Recommendations
- Dedicate more funding to assist students in obtaining psycho-educational evaluations, which will reduce a financial barrier to students who may otherwise qualify for services.
- Develop social opportunities and support groups for students with disabilities.
- Dedicate a space where students with disabilities can experience peer support, gather resources, hold events, classes, and presentations. This could be achieved through the creation of a disability cultural center.
- Develop additional student support resources for ECampus and Cascades Campus students who do not have access to traditional Corvallis campus services.