On Nov. 13, an email from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office was sent to all EMU students, faculty, and staff to communicate that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stair regulations would be implemented around campus. The initiative was taken two years ago by EMU students who noticed the lack of regulations at the university and decided to do something about it. The journey was not easy, but the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Office, EMU Facilities, along with some students made this a reality that will impact many in the future.
“The initiative for the project was from me and my friends, Quinn Kimble and Brandon Ewing, who realized how much trouble I and other disabled folks have with the stairs not being ADA compliant,” said junior Milee White. Although staircase colors are not a mandatory regulation for staircases, it can benefit people with low vision. ADA standards do not specify any specific color, however, some of the recommendations are: bright blue, black and white, and yellow. This project conveys more than just a change of colors of stairs; damaged areas of concrete will also be repaired at the library entrance, improving disabled students’ experience as they move from one place to another.
Most students do not struggle with low vision, so these issues go unnoticed by many. It is not until someone takes the initiative and educates others by bringing awareness about the issue to finally look for a solution. This is why this project took two years to culminate. “Once I noticed the stairs weren’t painted, I bought it up to a lot of people. Student Life, Academic Success Center, Office of Accommodations, Student Government Association, and even Susan Huxman, and no one felt the need to do anything. Brandon is really the guy to thank the most with actually getting this project done. He deserves the recognition for that and I am so grateful for it,” said Milee.
Senior Brandon Ewing was aware of EMU’s lack of accommodations because of his friendship with Milee White, and because he is on the autism spectrum, which grew his interest in disability activism. Brandon is taking the class Race and Gender, taught by Deanna Durham, which requires students to work on a social change project. “I kind of was fed up with the administration not doing anything for Milee when she tried, so with Deanna’s permission I threw my hat into the ring.”
Brandon also shared his support system while making this project possible. Multiple members of the faculty were very helpful, such as Deanna, who let him work on this disability project rather than a race or gender one. Dawn Neil worked in-depth with Brandon on the process of getting the grant. Mike Stellwag, facilities team member, took a personal interest to meet with Brandon and go over things to figure out elements of the grant.
The changes began on Nov. 12 and are expected to be successfully completed on Dec. 16, meaning that students will start the Spring semester with an improved and more inclusive campus. After years of waiting for a spark of interest from EMU faculty and staff, students and others affected by the lack of ADA regulations around campus are finally seeing the results of their efforts. Overall the implementation of ADA regulations around EMU’s facilities is a reason for celebration, but there is still a long way to go to become a more inclusive campus, as Cassidy Walker says, “EMU has a lot more to do to make it the accessible and inclusive space it claims to be.” Students can be more involved by taking care of EMU’s facilities like handicap buttons that can be expensive to repair or learn more about disability through podcasts or panels. A panel/group discussion is being organized by Sarah Peak and Brandon Ewing where students can ask questions to get informed on this topic that concerns us all.
