UW-Madison is a diverse campus filled with students and staff with different types of backgrounds, cultures and abilities. The university is comprised of numerous unique minds and bodies, but sometimes certain types of bodies and abilities get more attention and privilege. Students with disabilities face unique challenges on a campus that don’t always feel accessible to them.
You’ve probably heard about the McBurney Disability Resource Center on the first day of a new class, but to students who take advantage of its resources, it’s much more than just a note on the syllabus. Founded in 1977, the center has grown to serve close to 2,000 Badgers who need specific accommodations to improve their learning experience on campus. A student looking to get help from the center first fills out basic information in an online form, then meets with an accommodations specialist. Director Mari Magler explained this conversation is more important than the paperwork.
“I want to know from a student, ‘What has your experience been like? Where have you experienced barriers?’” she said. From there, individualized accommodations are set up, ranging from separate exam rooms to pens that record audio as you take notes.
Marissa, a UW-Madison senior with a McBurney visa, said once she had filled out the application the process of obtaining her visa was “smooth sailing.” She said the McBurney Center have worked with her on how to deal with situations on campus that might not be as accommodating as she needs them to be, and that her overall experience with the center has been a positive one.
The center’s growth has mirrored a trajectory of growing inclusivity for those with disabilities on campus. In just the past 10 years, the McBurney office has grown 156 percent in terms of students served, according to Magler, and part of that involves a changing conversation around mental health.
“I think many students with a mental health condition don’t necessarily think of a disability resource center of being something that might benefit them,” Magler said. “So I hope we’re doing a better job of talking about that.”
In fact, one-third of the students currently using McBurney accommodations identified a psychological disability as their primary disability, more than any other singular category of disability. The trend toward giving all students, of all abilities, the opportunities and resources to learn at the same comfort level as their peers is a positive one — one that should be continued.
Besides the McBurney Center, UW-Madison is working on other ways to foster a more inclusive learning environment that promotes acceptance and understanding. The disability studies initiative is not a major or certificate yet, but includes a certain group of classes from across different majors, such as communication arts, English, and gender and women’s studies that relate to different aspects of disability studies.
While UW has made great strides in fostering an atmosphere of accessibility, there is still room for improvement when making sure that all students are given the right to an equal chance at success.
Jenell Johnson is a professor in the communication arts department and also the head of the disability studies initiative. Johnson says she has heard stories of professors and other instructors not being accommodating as they should be, which in large part comes from a misunderstanding of what accommodations and accessibility are about.
“I think that there’s a sense in which people who are not familiar with disability rights … in which accommodations are viewed as special treatment as opposed to something that is leveling the field so everyone is able to learn in the ways that suit them best,” she said.
Everyone can benefit from educating themselves on disability studies and rights through classes listed under the disability studies initiative, and help to create a more welcoming and open campus atmosphere. Rather than just following accommodations because it is the rule, professors should think of McBurney accommodations not as “special treatment,” but as providing a fair classroom experience that all students should be entitled to. Professors should also take advantage of free trainings offered by the McBurney Center on how to best assist students with disabilities. Magler says even though she and her staff present at faculty orientation every August, that process is “very brief” and much more can be said. Departments like rehab psychology and the staff of College Library already take advantage of these programs, and others should follow their lead to ensure that all their students are being served equally.
Johnson also stressed the importance of creating an accepting environment for students who may not necessarily have a McBurney visa but would benefit from accomodations or alternate teaching styles.
“There are ways to design your classroom and ways to design your syllabi that take into account a lot of different bodies and minds that might be in that classroom,” Johnson said. Normalizing a diverse range of abilities and different ways that students learn best fosters an environment of inclusion and helps reduce stigmas associated with disability.
Besides the classroom environment, UW-Madison’s campus’ physical environment can oftentimes prove a challenge for students with disabilities that most able-bodied students do not take into consideration in their daily lives. Older buildings like Vilas Hall can prove to be difficult to navigate for people with physical disabilities, since some floors have bathrooms without automatic buttons to press.
However, rather than completely renovating inaccessible buildings, which is extremely costly and time intensive, there are other ways students can work on being more accessible.
“If you’re going to have a student org, for example, make it in a place that you know to be accessible … if the only way to get to a room is to go up a bunch of stairs, then you’re basically blocking anybody who uses a wheelchair from getting up there,” Johnson said.
While most student organizations or events do not create an intentionally inaccessible space, many able-bodied persons simply do not think about how people with disabilities can enter a room. By taking the time to think about this when planning meetings or events, students can take small steps to create more inclusive environments.
Most importantly, disability is nothing to be ashamed of. Groups like Disability Pride Madison are working to show that people with disabilities are regular human beings whose bodies or minds just work in different and diverse ways. Making campus physically and educationally accessible is incredibly important, but so is fostering an environment where students and instructors feel comfortable to express pride in their identity.
Think about some of the most iconic parts of UW-Madison’s campus. Memorial Union Terrace, Camp Randall Stadium, Abraham Lincoln’s statue and most of all, Bascom Hill. Bascom Hill is showcased on tours of the university, and making the trek up the hill is almost seen as a rite of passage as a UW-Madison student. What is seen as an inconvenient yet essential part of campus for able-bodied students can be completely inaccessible or an incredibly daunting obstacle for students with certain kinds of disabilities. It’s true that the hill won’t be going away anytime soon, but as this campus moves toward the future, our community can continue on the path to create physically, educationally and emotionally accommodating environments for those with disabilities.
The student quoted on her McBurney visa has her last name withheld for privacy reasons.
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