Accessibility benefits everyone. We aim to push William and Mary to implement more universal design and truly do what we can to increase accessibility past the bare minimum of ADA legal standards. William and Mary is not required to update buildings built before the ratification of the ADA so nothing will change unless we push. While there are construction plans for more accessible buildings, we should not wait to implement more accessibility as soon as possible for those who are already here. Even if there are short-term, quick solutions, the benefit will still make a difference. William and Mary Student Accessibility Services went through a rehiring and now consists of almost entirely new staff since this academic year. This said, we hope to utilize this transition time to ensure consistent grievances such as difficulty in acquiring accommodation and LMSS(Limited Mobility Shuttle Services) can be improved.
Housing accommodations and LMSS accommodations have to be renewed every semester which is nonsensical for chronically ill students. Unexpected fences, construction, and building maintenance which put elevators out of service is a major burden for disabled students, especially because mobility aids and golf carts are only able to work on certain areas. The school also pays for many accessibility services/subscriptions that are not advertised, like Glean.
Previous and Current Work:
Wrote and passed legislation for an intro to ASL workshop along with educational resources about ASL
Emergency Medical Services Act to make information on medical treatment in Williamsburg more accessible
Advocated for ASL to be provided during orientation
Advocated for neurodiversity, ADHD, and other learning accommodations to be properly resourced during dean interviews and administrative meetings
Advocated for expansion of LMSS services
Policy Moving Forward:
Installation of ramps while W&M works on long-term plans. Students deserve accessibility today, not 5-10 years in the future.
Advocate for ASL interpreters and CART service (captioning) at orientation
Advocate for the inclusion of disabled individuals on planning committees for new infrastructure, especially the 10 year plan and Outdoor Learning Spaces project.
Ask for a return of the Assist tab on Blackboard and advertise the Ally Transformer tool through student body emails
The Ally Transformer tool makes documents more accessible by converting them to audio, electronic braille, or making scans searchable for CTRL+F etc.
Work with SADA and SAS to advertise accessibility services the school provides, such as Glean subscriptions
Request the return of SAS monthly newsletters sent to students with accommodations
Advocate for the funding of another staff member for LMSS so the golf carts can run past 5pm
Push admin to notify students with physical disabilities when elevators will be out of service and about new construction/fencing
Use the SAS’s list of students with accommodations to create a master list for these emails
Transparency: work with SAS to address student questions and clarify processes and expectations for accommodations
i.e. LMSS and ADHD
Adding sensory boards to the library for help with managing overstimulation, anxiety, and improving concentration
senate has the capacity to fund such initiatives
Advertise current sensory room in Blow Hall, and advocate to move it a more accessible location