A panel of UW-Madison students and administrators discussed accessibility on campus Wednesday night, highlighting difficulties disabled students face as well as necessary improvements.
We have about 800 students registered with our office, and 80 percent of them have what we call 'hidden disabilities,'"" said Cathy Trueba, director of the McBurney Disability Resource Center.
Trueba said these are disabilities not immediately noticeable.
A UW-Madison junior said she has exceptional speech skills that often prevent people from realizing she is deaf.
Many professors also use auditory media in class that make it difficult for deaf students to understand necessary information, according to a second-year UW-Madison graduate student who is deaf.
Students said accommodations must be made for disabled students in campus organizations so they can fully participate in student life.
""For me, the fun part of being a UW student is going to clubs and being active,"" one disabled student said.
She added it might be expensive to provide the appropriate resources to only one student in an organization, but said all student organizations could donate money to the cause.
""Every student has a contribution to make, and every student has something to gain from that contribution, so it's really a two-way experience,"" said Carol Hotchkiss, a facilities access specialist at UW-Madison.
Winter weather also hinders accessibility on campus, students said.
A UW-Madison law student who was paralyzed in a diving accident said it took him an hour to go three blocks in his wheelchair because of a pile of snow on the sidewalk.
He said housing is another concern for disabled students, but that he thinks the attitude toward this issue has changed since he came to UW-Madison in 2000.
""At that point, they said you pretty much have to live off campus if you're going to come to school here,"" the student said.
Hotchkiss said the university has been working to improve accessibility in campus residence halls.
All panelists emphasized the need for awareness among students.
""I can't express to you how important the student voice is,"" Hotchkiss said. ""I encourage you to stay involved, stay vocal.
