With more than 6,800 students registered at the UF Disability Resource Center, accessibility is a priority among the university community — though some students feel UF has plenty to improve.
In 2015, the New York mayor named July Disability Pride Month, now it’s celebrated across the country to bring the disabled community together to reflect on common experiences and celebrate differences.
Before the monthlong celebration was established, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibiting disability-based discrimination passed in July 1990.
UF students, faculty and staff with disabilities benefit from ADA protections while on the main campus and other UF-owned properties.
The Disability Resource Center provides students with one-on-one appointments and consultations to assess the accessibility of classes, programs and events. It also provides disability education to the UF community.
Students interested in registering for the DRC must fill out the pre-registration form. Afterward, students meet with assigned DRC specialists to plan out accommodations for their specific needs, DRC Director Jenna Gonzalez said.
“That could include American Sign Language interpreting, accommodated testing, preferential seating,” she said. “If anything needs to be adjusted during the semester, [students] need to meet with their specialist … to start the discussion and see if changes need to be made.”
Leo Cooke, a 20-year-old UF media production, management and technology senior, is one of many students who utilize the DRC.
Cooke is diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissue.
Cooke benefited immensely from the accommodations they’ve received through the DRC, they said.
“[The DRC] has ensured that I can keep my scholarships and financial aid without exerting myself by having too heavy of a workload,” Cooke said.
Cooke is a former resident and current employee of Cypress Hall, the designated dorm for disabled students. Cypress is a fully inclusive residence hall meant to provide anaccessible living space for students with various diagnoses or disabilities who may not have been able to independently live on a college campus.
Cypress Hall is one of two in the nation with a Sure Hands lift system in a residence hall, which allows students to have independent transportation in their rooms, according to the DRC website.
Students who need assistance in daily activities may require a Personal Care Attendant who provides support in needs such as grooming and personal hygiene.
“The dorm is ADA-accessible in every conceivable way,” Cooke said. “The PCAs I interact with during my shifts are eager and enthusiastic to help these students.”
However, Cooke does believe UF could better accommodate its disabled students.
“I wish that UF did a better job at advertising [its] resources,” Cooke said. “As an autistic student, it took getting admitted to the UF psychiatric hospital for me to be made aware of resources like SOCIAL Gators.”
SOCIAL Gators is a support program for autistic students and students with similar conditions.
Cooke is not the only student who faces difficulty with accessibility on campus.
Sam Gardner, a 20-year-old UF biotechnology junior, finds physical accessibility on campus to be difficult in certain areas.
“We have a lot of stairs and … the concrete on the ground can be cracked and pretty unlevel,” she said. “Additionally, some of the push buttons to open the doors sometimes don’t work.”
The Office for Accessibility and Gender Equity is the resource hub for ADA compliance, which works to eliminate and avoid barriers to accessibility. Individuals who encounter architectural or facility barriers should complete an ADA form.
Gardner is also the vice president of outreach for the Disability Ambassadors group. The group is a student-led organization within the DRC that aims to spread awareness and empower people with disabilities.
The ambassador group hosts an annual event called the Human Library where members serve as “books” about their experiences with disability stigma and stereotypes, she said.
“We’re really doing this to help educate the campus community … breaking down myths about disability,” Gardner said.
UF Transportation and Parking Services offers various special parking accommodations for its students and employees.
Students and employees can purchase a Disabled Persons permit by visiting the TAPS office with a copy of their driver’s license, state-issued Disabled Persons parking placard and state-issued registration sheet for the placard.
More information about where to park and placard permit pricing can be found on its website.
Gator Lift is a free shuttle service provided for UF students, faculty and staff with temporary or permanent mobility-related disabilities.
The service drives to a number of locations within the main UF campus and to a limited number of off-campus, UF-owned properties from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Students can submit their class schedules to coordinate regular rides in one request and can request additional rides throughout the semester.
Gator Lift ridership generally has remained steady over the last five years, said Amy Armstrong, the UF Director of Communications to the Vice President of Business Affairs.
Some on campus resources solely focus on promoting mental well-being for students with disabilities.
Peggy Rios, an associate clinical faculty member, is the CWC facilitator of the group “managing chronic health conditions.”
Members of the group focus on living life with integrity and joy while managing their conditions, Rios said.
“As college students, they are working on their sense of identity,” Rios said. “Being able to integrate the chronic condition into that identity without it being disempowering is very important.
Contact Jinelle at jvazquez@alligator.org. Follow them on Twitter @vazquezjinelle.
Jinelle Vazquez is a senior at UF pursuing a major in Public Health with a minor in Indigenous Studies. They currently report for the enterprise desk covering health. In their free time, they enjoy hiking, photography and making art.
