ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


In this issue:
The Disabled Student

on American Campuses ............33
Organizations Endorsing the 

Joint Statement on
Faculty Status ............................. 36

ACRL Chapters ...............................37
Humanities Grant to Rare

Book Library ................................ 38
Ramapo College Dedicates

New Library ................................ 38
News from the Field ......................40
People ................................................51
Publications ..................................... 55
Classified Advertising .................... 60

ISSN 0099-0086

C O L L EG E 
& R E S E A R C H  

L I B R

n
A R

e
I E

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S

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NO. 2 • FEBRU A R Y  1978

The Disabled Student 
on American Campuses

By E unice G. Lovejoy,
L ib ra ry  D evelopm en t Consultant,

Services to the H an dicapped,
The State L ib ra r y  o f  Ohio

Postsecondary edu cation  f o r  the d isa bled  stu­
d en t is g u a r a n t e e d  b y  S ection  504 o f  th e Vo­
cation al R ehabilitation  Act o f  1973. A con feren ce 
h eld  in August 1977 at W right State University in 
D ayton, O hio, ex p lo red  the issues that a ffec t the 
integration o f  th e d isa b le d  student into cam pus 
life. T he b a r r ier s a r e  attitudinal but can b e o v er­
com e by involving fa cu lty , staff, adm in istrators, 
an d  d is a b le d  stu d en ts in c o o p e r a tiv e  planning. 
The cam pus lib ra ry  has a responsibility to m ake 
its resources access ible to d isa b led  students an d  
will n eed  to b e  flex ib le.

The conference was called “The Disabled Student 
on American Campuses: Services and the State of 
the A rt,” but one question seem ed to be on 
everyone’s mind: How is Section 504 of the Vo­
cational Rehabilitation Act o f 1973 going to affect 
us?

From August 21 to August 25, 300 educators 
met at Wright State University to explore the is­
sues which affect the postsecondary education of 
individuals with physical disabilities. The confer­
ence was partially funded by a Bureau of Educa­
tion for the Handicapped grant and attracted 
deans, counselors, and administrators from large

and small academic institutions throughout the 
nation. “Consumers” (students), representatives 
of government agencies concerned with the focus 
of the meeting, and two librarians also attended.

The format for four busy days, crowded with 
meetings, was to have a presentor give an over­
view of a topic from his or her vantage point. 
Topics included “Guidelines for Program Opera­
tion, A Focus on Principles”; “Planning for Archi­
tectural A ccessibility” , “ Library Serv ices and 
Testing”; “The Role of Special Studies Programs 
on A ttitud e” ; and “ Financing: Who Pays for 
What?” Questions from the audience were en­
couraged, and in many cases smaller groups con­
tinued the discussion, further stimulated by spe­
cific questions prepared by the conference plan­
ners to elicit their opinions.

Postsecondary education for the disabled stu­
dent is not only a moral imperative, it is now the 
law  o f  th e land\ Section 504 of the Vocational 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that any in­
stitution o f higher education that receives federal 
money— and the exceptions are few— must accept 
and assure accessibility of programs and activities 
to handicapped students and employees. Where 
the program is not made accessible by other 
means, architectural barriers must be removed by 
June 2, 1980. The regulations, which were pub­
lished in the F e d e ra l R egister on May 4, 1977, 
spell out the obligations of the institution and the 
procedures disabled students can follow when

News issue (B) of College & Research Libraries, vol. 39, no. 1



34

they feel their rights have been violated. 

I n t e g r a t i o n  i n t o  C a m p u s  L i f e

T here is a real concern on the part o f college 
and university personnel as to how best to inte­
g ra te th e  d is a b le d  stu d e n t in to  cam p u s life. 
W h ere offices for handicapped individuals have 
already been established, their staffs are asking, 
“W hose needs are we m eeting? O ur own, those 
o f the university, the state vocational rehabilita­
tion agency, or the disabled student?” T h ere is 
recognition that the way in which these offices re­
late to faculty, staff, and administration affects the 
way the rest o f the campus feels about the dis­
abled student. I f  the special office is overprotec­
tive and sets up “ghettos,” the student appears to 
be someone who must be segregated in order to 
get along.

C o lleg e for the disabled stud ent, as for any 
other, is the last stop betw een the sheltered en ­
vironm ent and the real world. T h e  role o f the 
special office is to encourage independence and 
self-reliance on the part o f the student and at the 
same time help the student evaluate his or her 
needs for support services. T he trend is toward 
using existing campus services to m eet these spe­
cial needs. I f  a transportation service is offered to 
other students, the office that provides it should 
offer an equivalent service to disabled students. 
The special office functions as both an advocate 
and coordinator o f services.

B a r r i e r s

It is a ttitu d in a l b a r rie rs, ra th e r than a rc h i­
tectu ral b a r rie rs, th at are resp on sib le for dis­
crimination against disabled people. Yet there is a 
very subtle interplay betw een the two. On the 
cam pus w here the a rch itectu ral b a r rie rs have

News item s fo r in clu sion  in C&RL News sh ou ld  be sent to 
John V. Crowley, Assistant Director of Libraries, M ilne Library. 
State U niversity College, Oneonta, NY 13820. Advertising (in ­
clu d in g  classified ads) should be sent to  Leona Swiech, A dve r­
tising Office. Am e rica n  Library Association, 5 0  E. H uron St., 
Chicago. IL 6 0 6 1 1 . P ro du ction  a nd  c irc u la tio n  m a tte rs are 
h andled by ALA Central P roduction Unit, at the above a d ­
dress.

News editor: John V. Crowley, Assistant D irector o f Libraries, 
M ilne Library, State U niversity College, Oneonta, NY 13820. 
Associate news editor, W illiam  B. Weiss, Assistant Librarian. 
Cataloging Departm ent, M ilne Library. State University College, 
Oneonta, NY 1 3820. Editor: R ichard D. Johnson. M ilne  Li­
brary, State University College. Oneonta. NY 13820. President. 
ACRL: Eidred R. Sm ith. Executive Secretary. ACRL: Julie A. 
Carroll Virgo.

College & Research Libraries is p ub lish e d  by the  Association 
o f College and Research Libraries, a division o f the A m erican 
Library Association, 17 tim e s yearly— 6  b im o nth ly jo u rn a l is­
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©  A m e rica n  L ibrary Associatio n  1 97 8. All m a terial in this 
jo urna l su bje ct to co p yrig h t by the  Am e rica n  Library Associa­
tion may be photocopied fo r the  n o n com m e rcia l p urpose of 
s cie ntific o r edu catio n al advancem ent.

been eliminated, the person in a w heelchair ap­
pears more able, and so others react in a more 
positive manner.

Administrators are concerned with the costs of 
providing quality education a n d  complying with 
fe d e r a l r e g u la tio n s . T h e y  may n o t hav e th e 
adequate information to make wise decisions con­
cerning disabled students.

Concern about the costs o f im plem enting Se c­
tion 504 o f the Vocational R ehabilitation Act of 
1973 is real. A case against Converse College in 
Spartanburg, South Carolina, has already gone 
through the courts, and the college was required 
to provide a sign language interp reter for a deaf 
student who had to take a course to maintain her 
teacher certification. T h e cry has be en : T h ey ’ll 
force us to close! A more rational approach is for 
the college administration to form a com m ittee to 
do a self-evaluation. This, incidentally, is a re­
quirem ent o f the 504 regulations, which must be 
met by Jun e 2, 1978. T h e regulation also specifies 
that handicapped persons or organizations rep re­
senting handicapped persons should b e involved. 
A college-wide com m ittee might include a vice- 
president or dean o f students and academ ic af­
fairs; the building and grounds superintendent; 
faculty, including those who have not had dis­
abled students; and disabled students. T he com­
mittee should develop priorities and explore ways 
of financing modifications. O ther sources that can 
be tapped for funds and advice are th e state re­
habilitation agency and local private rehabilitation 
agencies.

F or faculty m em bers, each category o f disabil­
ity presents different concerns. They worry about 
the amount o f extra tim e that will be required. 
They are fearful that a change in th eir teaching 
method will alter the course co ntent. T hey an­
ticipate a disruption o f class procedure.

Courses may need to be modified for the dis­
abled stu d en t, y e t what stu d ent hasn’t at one 
time or another asked for special consideration? 
Under Section 504, the student has the right to 
file a complaint against any faculty m em b er who 
will not adapt a course so a disabled student can 
m e e t th e  r e q u ire m e n ts. Advisory co m m itte e s 
made up o f disabled students who have attended 
college for at least a year, sensitive faculty m em ­
b e rs, advocates for the stud ents, and learning 
specialists can help  faculty and staff handle the 
problem s th ey  en co u n te r in w orking with dis­
abled students.

T he able-bodied staff and students may view 
the disabled student as a curiosity, or they may 
be fearful or overprotective.

T he disabled students and the staff o f the spe­
cial services office (or someone acting as an advo­
cate) have a jo in t responsibility for changing at­
titudes through providing accurate information, 
creating positive experiences with disabled stu­
dents, and helping people understand the origin 
of their negative attitudes.



35

T h e  L i b r a r y ’s  R e s p o n s i b i l i t y

What is the library’s responsibility to the dis­
abled student? T he language o f the Section 504 
regulations is not specific and will be subject to 
much interpretation, but essentially it says that 
serv ices p rovided to handicap ped individuals 
must be as effective as those provided to others.

At the University o f Massachusetts at Boston, 
where the director o f the Handicapped Student 
C enter works closely with the library staff, dis­
abled students are allowed to have someone else 
check out their books. They are asked to let the 
library staff know a day in advance when they 
will need special help in using the library, and 
volunteers are called in to assist them. There is a 
library orientation specifically for deaf and blind 
students. A room is provided w here blind stu­
dents can listen to tapes or work with a reader. 
Another room has tape recorders, closed circuit 
television that magnifies print, a typewriter, and 
Braille reference material. Braille textbooks are 
stored in the library. W hile library staff members 
feel that study materials are not their responsibil­
ity, they do help with ordering textbooks from 
Recording for the Blind (215 East 58th Stre et, 
New York, NY 10022) and locating them through 
the American Printing House C en tral Catalog 
(1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40216).

O ther college and university libraries accept 
full resp on sibility for the production o f taped 
textbooks. They utilize volunteers for this pur­
pose, provide soundproof booths for taping, and 
keep a master file of tapes, duplicating them as 
necessary. They also use regular staff for the spe­
cial help required by the disabled student, such 
as pulling drawers out o f the catalogs, getting 
books from the shelves, and using indexes and 
reference material.

A 1976 publication by Stephen R. C o tle r and 
Alfred A. deGraff, A rch ite ctu ra l A ccessib ility  f o r  
th e D is a b le d  o f  C o lle g e C a m p u ses (State Univer­
sity Construction Fund, 194 W ashington Ave., 
Albany, NY 12210) offers a guide for a diversity of 
han d icap p ed  s tu d e n ts. T h e  a u th o rs su g ge st 
specifically that w here space p erm its, at least 
thirty-six inches should be provided between the 
shelf edges o f stack aisles to accomm odate the 
person in a w heelchair. However, they realize 
that available floor space does not perm it ideal 
accessibility and rarely can all resources b e put 
within wheelchair reach. Because o f this, library 
staff should retrieve material that is out of reach; 
pull o u t-o f-re a ch  draw ers from card  catalogs; 
photocopy m aterials; aid d isabled  stu d ents to 
enter and leave the library when special routing 
is needed due to turnstiles; unlock doors to areas 
reserved for the physically handicapped; allow 
another student, upon presentation o f the dis­
abled student’s identification card, to charge out 
books for the student who is unable to get to the 
library; renew loaned materials by phone; provide

information on the availability of a book by phone 
and hold it until it can be picked up; and deliver 
materials requested by phone via campus mail.

Most o f the information in this guide is con­
cerned with general standards for architectural 
accessibility  ( e .g ., ramps, parking, restroom s, 
elevators, telephones), and these needs must be 
met by libraries, too. A rc h ite c tu r a l A ccessibility 
f o r  th e D isa b le d  o f  C o lle g e C a m p u ses also states 
that rooms should be set aside for use by those 
with visual impairments who require an area for 
listening to readers or taped m aterial without 
being disturbed or disturbing others with their 
activities. T h e s e  rooms should be su itab le for 
special magnifiers, tape recorders, and specially 
designed lighting fixtures.

Magnifiers, tape recorders, taped texts and ref­
erence material, and Braille and large-print books 
are other aids that may be needed for the visually 
disabled.

Elevator keys should be provided to the physi­
cally handicapped student at after-h ou r study 
times, when elevators are normally cut off to cer­
tain floors for security reasons and thus prevent 
access for the student who cannot use the stairs.

Permission to rem ove m aterials normally re­
stricted to a certain area should be granted to 
the disabled student who needs to use a special 
study area. Permission to use computerized rec­
ords of library-owned materials, when such exist, 
obviates the use of an inaccessible card catalog.

W here staff and/or catalog information is not 
located  on e a ch  flo o r, an a c c e s s ib le  p h o n e ­
intercom system should be provided at a central 
location on each floor. This system also has the 
potential for summoning aid during em ergencies.

To accommodate the person in a wheelchair, 
carrels and index and referen ce tables should 
have a knee clearan ce o f at least 32 inches in 
width and 2 7 ½inches in height. F or the carrel, 
maneuvering space from the front edge to the 
nearest back obstruction should be at least 4 feet 
4 inches.

These modifications, recommended by C otler 
and deGraff, are necessary to make library re­
sources as accessible to the disabled student as 
they are to the able bodied. W hether or not the 
library specifically receives federal funds, it al­
most certainly is part o f a college or university 
that is affected by Section 504.

Probably the best advice coming from both the 
federal regulations and from those assembled for 
the conference on the disabled student at Wright 
State University is to involve the disabled student 
in evaluating needs and planning for change to 
make the total college program accessible.

The proceedings of the conference are being 
published by Wright State University and can be 
obtained by writing to Pat Marx, D irector, Hand­
icapped Student Services, Wright State Univer­
sity, D a y to n , O H  4 5 4 3 5 . T h e y  a re  su rely  a 
“must’’ for every college and university library. ■■