Nestled in the rural expanse of Edinboro, Pa., Edinboro University is a public liberal arts university with an enrollment of just over 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Boasting 80 baccalaureate degree programs and 17 graduate programs, the university provides a supportive environment that encourages excellence in all students. With developed curricula in the sciences, graphic design, education, business and humanities, Edinboro champions students to achieve “intellectual and personal growth in an inclusive environment.”
And, it’s been this school’s pledge to uphold and maintain an “inclusive environment” that has solidified EU as a sought-after university for students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
According to Chris Wise Tiedemann, the author of College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities, Edinboro ranks among only five universities in the country adequately equipped to meet the needs of roughly 5.9 percent of the U.S. undergraduate population — approximately 1.1 million students — with disabilities.
As a result, Edinboro has created a campus environment that is committed to the success of students with challenges, and especially those with physical disabilities.
School Expands Programs for Students with Disabilities
In 1974, EU was designated as a wheelchair-accessible campus for the state by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Over the past 40 years, the university has continually expanded its programs for students with disabilities, assuming a niche of service and responsibility to campus residents. The school currently has 574 students enrolled with disabilities, ranging from physical to cognitive, including 74 students in wheelchairs.
“This accessibility designation prompted the university to grow its programs and services to allow a student with a disability to be fully engaged in campus life,” says Kim Kennedy, director — Office for Students with Disabilities at EU. “Programs and services include attendant care, meal aides, homework aides, van transportation and on-campus wheelchair repair. All of these services go well beyond the accommodation requirements for access as outlined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA.”
Other Colleges Not As Accessible as EU
It was the university’s dedication that was immediately applied when Norah Scholl, a 23-year-old second-year graduate student in community counseling and graduate hall coordinator at EU, moved into the university’s Highlands residence halls.
Scholl was born with Arthrogryposis-Amyoplasia — a syndrome causing contractures and deformity in the joints, and a lack of muscle development. She is a quadriplegic and requires the use of a motorized wheelchair to get around campus.
Scholl says she was familiar with the university’s devotion to serving students with disabilities.
“When I was a sophomore in high school and starting to look at options for college, my family and I visited Edinboro after researching top universities for students with disabilities,” she says. “We were so impressed with the campus’ accessibility and the fact that they offered van transportation and a 24/7 personal attendant care program. I’m from Cape Cod, Mass., and when we looked at colleges that were closer to home, we were basically told we’d have to put an ad in the newspaper to find an attendant care person, and half of the buildings on other college campuses weren’t accessible to me. At Edinboro, I’ve never had to worry about accessibility; they’ve always been very focused on making me comfortable on campus.”
Integrator Designs, Installs Specialized Door Solution
Throughout Scholl’s tenure at the university, administrators have been dedicated to finding ways to allow her and other students to be as independent as possible on campus.
Scholl says she has taken advantage of the university’s 24/7 attendant care program, and has used the accessible transportation services regularly for trips to the pharmacy, grocery store or to attend her Greek society’s formals and functions.
The recent opening of a wheelchair accessible, indoor bridge, connecting buildings over some of the campus’ busiest intersections and steeper hills has made cross-campus travel much easier for Norah and other students.
Most recently, EU enlisted the expertise of its trusted security partner, Stanley Security, to develop a solution that would allow Scholl to open and close the door to her room in the residence hall independently and automatically.
“No matter where Norah was — whether or not she was in her room — she had to have her door propped open with a chair, or required assistance to open or close it,” says Jim Miller, Director of Office of Facilities Management & Planning for EU. “Obviously, we were aware of the safety concerns and the challenge presented in finding a solution that would work for Norah. We’ve had a great relationship with Stanley Security for years, using their best products for keys, locks and access control, so we sat down with them to discuss the uniqueness of the situation and to hash out a few ideas.
“From day one, Stanley just got it,” he says. “We have such a close-knit, distinct community here, and it can be hard for vendors to connect with that sometimes. Stanley was on board from the very beginning, and was so enthusiastic when developing and implementing the solution.”
Scholl, EU Provide Input on Solution Design, Installation
In order to ensure that all of Scholl’s needs were being addressed, the integrator met with her to discuss the intricacies of the installation and allowed her full input in the design of the solution.
“Stanley made sure I was very involved in the process, having conversations and asking me questions about how the solution could be adapted to best accommodate me and others in the future,” Scholl says.
Tthe integrator partnered with Scholl and the EU team to devise a solution that allows Scholl to control her door via a custom application that can be readily accessed from the main screen menu on her phone and her laptop.
Scholl manipulates her phone — fastened to her motorized wheelchair by a metal arm at face level — through voice activation software and physically with her chin and nose. With this device, she is able to enter a passcode through the app in order to unlock or secure her door. Once activated, the app fires an electric strike that engages the accessible door operator, so that it opens automatically.
The app, created by Stanley Security’s Software Solutions Group, uses the same interface on both Scholl’s laptop and phone, changing colors when the room is locked and unlocked, so that she’s able to know at a glance whether or not her room is secure.
Stanley also outfitted the door with a proximity reader that will register Scholl’s credentials from three feet away when approaching the inside of the door, so she only has to wheel up with her affixed card for the door to open automatically.
In the event of an outage, Stanley included a wireless door operator at a level that was most convenient for Scholl — at her feet; without the use of her hands, Scholl cannot press automatic door operator switches often installed at the minimum ADA standard height of 28-32 inches. The component is movable, able to be adjusted for any future residents, whose needs might differ from Scholl’s.
“Working with Norah and EU has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my professional career,” says Kyle Gordon, the director higher education for the integrator. “Norah wanted to be part of something that could help improve the lives of people like her, and hopefully in the process, would lead to the development of elevated standards for individuals with disabilities. She wanted to act as an ambassador, bringing awareness to students with disabilities and the common obstacles they face on a daily basis.”
Opening Door for 1st Time ‘Pretty Awesome’
Scholl says she was thrilled with the solution and its potential to improve not only her quality of life at the university, but those of others as well.
“Opening the door on my own for the first time was pretty awesome,” she says. “Since then, it’s significantly and positively enabled me to be far more independent in my day-to-day activities and in my role as a graduate hall coordinator. I hope solutions like this — customized to the needs of the individual — can be adopted by other universities across the country, and outside of campus environments, to be used in people’s homes, apartments and workplaces. I obviously think about my future, going out and into the work field — and the lack of accessibility is eventually something I, and so many others, may be up against. It’s great to know that there are supportive solutions available.”
For EU, Stanley’s dedication to and enthusiasm for the project really set the organization apart — completing the design and installation in a short four months.
“At Edinboro, we are always going to go above and beyond for our students, and it’s great to have found Stanley as a partner who really understands that,” Miller says. “They really worked with us to find a solution that was cost-effective and could be implemented in a timely manner. They really put themselves in her position, learning how to experience life the way she does — and how well she accomplishes that — on campus.”
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