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Accessibility Projects

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, programs and services provided by state and local governments, goods and services provided by private companies, and in commercial facilities.

The ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990. It contains requirements for new construction, for alterations or renovations to buildings and facilities, and for improving access to existing facilities of private companies providing goods or services to the public. It also requires that State and local governments provide access to programs offered to the public. The ADA also covers effective communication with people with disabilities, eligibility criteria that may restrict or prevent access, and requires reasonable modifications of policies and practices that may be discriminatory.

Accessibility Compliance

In compliance with both the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Carnegie Mellon makes reasonable accommodations to faculty, staff and students of the university with disabilities. Each year, the ADA Committee evaluates potential accommodations and allocates funds for projects designed to make the campus more accessible to all.

The overriding principal the committee uses when considering physical accessibility of the university's facilities is that the campus, viewed in its entirety, must be accessible to disabled individuals. Not every part of every structure needs to be fully accessible, but where it is impractical to make modifications that would open up a specific area, a suitable accessible alternative must be provided. Our goal is to enable disabled individuals to participate in the activities of the institution in the most integrated setting possible. The obligations imposed on "places of public accommodation" include:

• removing physical barriers
• assisting members of the Carnegie Mellon community or the public who are disabled, in order to provide them access to all services offered by the university
• eliminating discriminatory criteria on who can receive services, and practices that tend to screen out or adversely affect disabled persons
• providing special equipment or services to persons with disabilities on request, when needed to allow them to use all of the services of the university on an equal basis

The budget for barrier removal is more than $250,000 per year. Previous barrier removal projects headed by the ADA Committee have included:

• adding ramps and handrails to building entrances or within buildings
• adding stair lifts or elevators
  
• making bathrooms and water fountains accessible
• modifying doors and entryways to facilitate entry

Many of our residence halls are designed to accommodate special needs as well. Students should request any needed accommodations on their housing application, or contact Housing Services.

To recommend a project that will improve accessibility, or to request an accommodation due to your own disability, contact Equal Opportunity Services.

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For more information:

• ADA Home Page - from the U.S. Department of Justice

© Carnegie Mellon Human Resources 2004