Matt Cooper
Lantern Staff
Walking amongst the morning concourse of passersby outside the student union each morning, one easily takes notice of the most prominent structures outside the building: the inclined wheelchair ramp.
Each building on campus has this same feature, along with other aides for those living with disabilities.
Take for example the elevators in the 1500 building or the button activated entrances on the first and second floors of the Hubbard Center and in the L.W. Nixon Library. Each is an example of Butler’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
These amenities are imperative for those who file for aid from Butler’s Disability Services Department each year. As of Monday, Oct. 17 of this year, 283 such students are enrolled for such services. 119 of which are on the El Dorado campus alone.
Director of Disability Services at Butler Teressa Eastman commented that the program reaches everyone at the college and her personal approach to those with disabilities is one of precision.
“Disability Services touches every entity on campus,” Eastman said. “And difficulty lies with the fact that every disability is different. An accommodation that works for one individual with a disability may not work for another. I cannot have a cookie-cutter approach to accommodation.”
Faculty members take advantage of disability services as well.
Phil Speary, dean of Academic Support and Effectiveness, is a double amputee who makes use of prosthetic shins. However, because of disability services, Speary is not hindered from carrying out his job on campus.
“Our disability services staff are certainly up to par in their commitment and desire to serve,” Speary said.
He went on to mention though that he had noticed some slight staffing issues.
“The staffing is limited so on occasion they may not be able to do as much as they would want to help students and employees.” Speary said.
The services offered by Butler disability services are not however exclusive to those who are physically impaired.
Third year elementary education major Alex McGovern makes use of these services for the purposes of support for anxiety. McGovern suffers from anxiety and is intermittently required to ask teachers for continuances on class attendance and submit requests to study in quiet spaces in the disabilities office.
“Basically I have accommodations,” McGovern said. “It is a letter that says I am allowed to take breaks as needed in case I get anxious. Disability services are there if for whatever reason a teacher were to not be understanding of my situation.”
According to both Speary and McGovern, disability services at Butler are significantly effective.
“Butler disabilities services have been fantastic and always helpful,” McGovern said.
Eastman went on to note that every 10 years, Butler disability services are subject to an accessibility inspection every 10 years.
“Our last inspection was in 2013,” Eastman said. “The Accessibility Study was quite favorable given that most of our buildings pre-date the passage of ADA.”