{"id":90767,"date":"2020-07-24T10:38:05","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T14:38:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/?p=90767"},"modified":"2020-07-24T11:01:04","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T15:01:04","slug":"umw-celebrates-30th-anniversary-of-americans-with-disabilities-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/news\/2020\/07\/24\/umw-celebrates-30th-anniversary-of-americans-with-disabilities-act\/","title":{"rendered":"UMW Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

When UMW junior Lueden Sheikhnureldin arrived at Simpson Library that early fall morning, something felt off. The old-style wooden chairs in the study area where she\u2019d crammed for so many exams had been replaced by sleek gray-and-green seats.<\/p>\n

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UMW’s Office of Disability Resources offers access to students in need, with 12 percent of students registered to receive its services. This month, the University is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t concentrate,\u201d said Sheikhnureldin, whose ADHD can cause sensitivity to details like a chair\u2019s texture and feel. \u201cI thought, \u2018This is confusing. Everything is changing. I can\u2019t do this.\u2019\u201d She retreated to her Madison Hall room, instead, to study for a biology test.<\/p>\n

An English major pursuing a degree in education, Sheikhnureldin is one of hundreds of UMW students with disabilities ranging from ADHD and autism to issues with vision, hearing and movement. \u201cThere really isn\u2019t a category that isn\u2019t represented here,\u201d said Jessica Machado, director of the Office of Disability Resources<\/a> (ODR), which provides services, accommodations and access.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the most utilized offices of its type in Virginia, Machado said, with 12 percent of Mary Washington\u2019s more than 4,000 students registered. That\u2019s particularly poignant this month, while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebrates its 30th anniversary. UMW officials like Machado are using the milestone to recognize three decades of strides toward equality for the disabled and also the work left to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must directly challenge the assumptions and effects of ableism and work to ensure that every member of the UMW community can realize their goals and aspirations here, and that all of us together thrive and flourish,\u201d Provost Nina Mikhalevsky wrote in an email to campus.<\/p>\n

Along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, religion, sex, nationality and more, ADA prohibits discrimination of individuals with disabilities. Now 30, it\u2019s among the equal-rights landmarks UMW\u2019s yearlong Farmer Legacy 2020<\/a> celebration aims to commemorate. The initiative \u2013 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late civil rights icon and former Mary Washington history professor James L. Farmer Jr. \u2013 asks all to consider, with every action they take, what Farmer would have done in the same situation.<\/p>\n

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Classroom accommodations like extended time for test-taking and wheelchair accessibility are among the many services offered by UMW’s Office of Disability Resources. Director Jessica Machado stays up-to-date on changing legalities that affect hundreds of students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHe would want us not to forget how far we\u2019ve come,\u201d Sheikhnureldin, who was born 10 years after the ADA took effect, said in a video<\/a> created by ODR. \u201cMaking sure \u2026 everything is accessible is something that was not asked when James Farmer was around, and I think he\u2019d want us to remember that. Also that the fight is not over.\u201d<\/p>\n

References in the student newspaper to Disability Services at UMW date back to the early 1990s, just after the ADA was passed. Closely aligned with Mary Washington\u2019s statement of values, known as ASPIRE<\/a>, ODR offers a variety of aid, from classroom and housing accommodations, to assistive technology and provisions for service animals on campus.<\/p>\n

As director, Machado, who led George Mason University\u2019s Office of Disability Services and Mason Autism Support Initiative, before arriving at UMW, stays apprised of legalities. She teaches students how to advocate for themselves through ADA and helps them \u201cdevelop an understanding of their own uniqueness.\u201d<\/p>\n

The legislation and resulting reforms have \u201callowed me to gain access to things that normally I wouldn\u2019t be able to gain access to,\u201d sophomore Adrianna Giddings said on the ODR video.<\/p>\n

Its powers are present in the workplace, as well, said Vice President for Equity and Access Sabrina Johnson, who also serves as UMW\u2019s ADA Compliance Officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough\u00a0a meaningful application of the ADA\u2019s interactive accommodation process, the university is able to exceed compliance to achieve a true understanding of each employee\u2019s unique experience and plan with them for their long-term overall success,\u201d she said. \u201cThe ADA is not about treating anyone differently. It\u2019s about inclusivity for all.”<\/p>\n