Student Government hosted three speakers and an open dialogue at the Accessibility Town Hall Wednesday afternoon. Several dozen students and faculty attended to discuss upcoming projects and concerns about accessibility, including accessibility buttons, curb-cut construction and universal usability for virtual technologies.

Student Body President Jackie Gonzalez, a fourth-year studying political science, Crystal Tenan, accessibility coordinator for the Office of Information Technology (OIT), and Cameron Smith, Capital Project Management director, all spoke to discuss their work with accessibility accommodations and their plans to improve those projects.

“Accessibility is something we’re absolutely passionate about,” Gonzalez said. “We as NC State Student Government strive to make NC State an inclusive and accessible environment.”

Tenan discussed how her role as an accessibility coordinator caters to digital accessibility through websites like Moodle, web management systems, digital materials and software programs.  

“A lot of times we jump to thinking of just individuals with physical disabilities,” Tenan said. “But we also look at things like cognitive disabilities, like is this website usable, does it make sense, is it operable?”

The office is hosting a focus group to hear feedback from students with disabilities on Feb. 13 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Talley 5101. OIT also coordinates the captioning grants to fund captioning for instructional videos.

Alicia Criswell, a second-year studying English, spoke during the open dialogue portion of the town hall to talk about her personal experiences using crutches after tearing her ACL and LCL in her knee, which left lasting nerve damage.

During her time spent on crutches, Criswell experienced difficulties navigating the Free Expression Tunnel due to skateboarders using the ramp, so she used Wolfpack Pick Up, which uses golf carts to pick up students who have scheduled rides, to help assist her transportation around campus.

“There’s a lot of issues in housing about accessibility,” Criswell said. “I was in the Arts Village, which is in Turlington Hall, and I lived on the third floor, and there’s no elevator. On top of that, the laundry facilities were in the basement, and there’s no elevator in the basement. It was just little things you wouldn’t notice unless stairs were really difficult.”

After attending the town hall, Criswell is looking to join the accessibility Student Government board and clubs mentioned during the meeting to advocate for the issues she experienced firsthand.

Smith from Capital Project Management also highlighted the work done to improve accessibility on campus, including Belltower, Morrill Drive and Yarborough Drive curb cuts, which are sloped downgrades from sidewalks, as well as a Wolf Village transit stop and a Brickyard path that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

“Some of the things that we consider are immediate access needs,” Smith said. “So, if we have a staff, faculty or student that comes on campus and they have a special need, we really take that into consideration and we try to tackle that issue.”

Upcoming projects for the company include working on an accessibility map for the entire campus, improving entrances on Scott Hall, building bathroom modifications, curb-cuts on Dan Allen Drive near the Student Health Center and a ramp renovation at Case Dining Hall.

Student Body Vice President Mia Connell, a third-year studying sociology, attended the meeting and talked to Technician about the potential addition of the $9,000 accessibility button to a gender-neutral bathroom on the third floor of Talley.

“We thought it is a good location because that is where Stewart Theatre is and where a lot of events and performances take place and speakers, and then also the ballrooms,” Connell said. “Not only a lot of large NC State events, but public events take place in those spaces, so we thought the gender-neutral bathroom on the third floor would be the best use of our money, time and space.”

The team just recently put in a request for funding from four different sources and are looking to continue the project by potentially adding one button a year.

“When we ask, ‘hey why isn’t this here?’ it’s said, well, it meets requirements,” Connell said. “There’s not a lot of above and beyond. Some of our entrances are kind of above and beyond, but we don’t think the majority of Talley is where we would like it to be. Right now we’re addressing Talley because it’s one of our newer buildings that’s not easily accessible; [it] also is a student hub for student life.”

The team’s accessibility meetings are every other Monday, with its next meeting on Feb. 12 from 4-5 p.m. in Talley 4251D.

The Disability Service Office assists both students and faculty with the eligibility and accommodation processes, testing accommodations and assistive technology. For more information about their office and resources, visit the Disability Services Website.

The town hall’s meeting minutes were documented and will be posted on the Student Government’s website.