Parking on campus is not a challenge for handicapped students, according to UB officials.
But a number of accessibility challenges face students once they get out of their cars, or leave their rooms. Handicapped students say that bathrooms, dorms, and elevators are still full of obstacles, though things are getting better.
A handicapped student who filed a lawsuit against UB for poor accessibility said that change has come slowly but surely since she reached a settlement with the school to improve conditions.
Tammy Milillo, a graduate student who studies chemistry, sued UB in 1997 because she said disability standards were not adequate when she started as an undergraduate.
Milillo said it was difficult for her to get around campus and use facilities due to her special needs, but that things are slowly improving.
"(UB) stepped up to the plate to improve conditions, but they are by no means finished," Milillo said.
The only handicapped accessible dorm rooms on campus were in Clinton Hall, Milillo said, where she first resided before moving into the on-campus apartments.
"I understand that not every little thing at UB can be fixed, but there are a lot of inaccessible bathrooms, and Michael Hall wasn't even wheelchair accessible until 2002," Milillo said.
UB settled with Milillo following her lawsuit, which she thinks is the first step to making changes. The settlement allowed a 10-year timeline for UB to fix disability facilities.
"Things will slowly continue to improve long after I leave UB," Milillo said.
Milillo, however, is not the only person on campus that thinks that accommodations for the handicapped need to be improved at UB.
Amanda Morrison, a graduate student in Spanish language and literature who uses a wheelchair, said there are a few things she wishes UB would do around campus to make things a little easier for her.
Due to her disability, Morrison relies on the elevator to get to the majority of her classes, located on the ninth floor of Clemens Hall.
"I have never gotten stuck in an elevator, but I do have concerns about the ones on campus," she said.
Morrison added although the bathrooms in the Student Union are good, most stalls in other bathrooms on campus are not wide enough and she has to go out of her way to find an accommodating bathroom.
But when it comes to parking on campus - which is often frustrating enough for students who are not affected by a disability - UB officials said they have received no complaints from handicapped students.
Government law requires one percent of all parking lots must be designated as handicapped parking, according to Randall Borst, director of disability services. Borst said UB provides that one percent plus a little bit extra.
"We have not had a complaint all year," Borst said.
According to UB's transportation Web site, Putnam Way on North Campus and the Diefendorf Lot on South Campus have an abundance of disability spots. Officials said there are a large amount of spots designated for disability drivers but a lack of students with disabilities who drive.
"I do not drive," Morrison said. "The cost for someone in a wheelchair to buy a van with a lift is expensive and it leaves a limited pool of students who can afford it, and therefore drive."
Out of the 15,000 parking spots between both campuses, 336 are designated for handicapped drivers both permanent and temporary. This year the department of parking and transportation issued 21,000 total student permits.
"There have not been any complaints about the amount of handicapped parking," said Christopher Austin, adjudication and transportation coordinator.
Morrison said although handicapped parking at UB may not be an issue at the time, there are definitely other accommodations for students with special needs the university should be working on.
"Though parking is not the concern for students with disabilities, it is the smaller things that count," she said.
Adina Cepler, a senior majoring in interdisciplinary degree programs, said from what she's seen UB does a great job accommodating students with disabilities.
"I think that students at UB are very considerate and helpful to other students with disabilities on campus," Cepler said. "From what I've observed, I see bus drivers who are very helpful towards students with disabilities."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
