Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67451
"The library was the fi rst building I ever went into on campus, and I absolutely loved it," says Swearingen, one of 517 students registered with CMU's Student Disability Services Offi ce. "I love the sliding-glass doors, and the bathrooms here are the only ones on campus that I'll use. " According to Susie Rood, CMU's Student Disability Services Offi ce director, among the accessible features of the library are: • Buttercream yellow paint to help reduce epileptic seizures and assist patrons with depth perception concerns; • No-slip fl ooring materials to aid in traction of motorized and manual wheelchairs during wet weather; • Automatic and power-assist doors and motion-activated restroom faucets to make them easier for people with mobility and dexterity limitations to use; and • Wainscoting-type railing running the perimeter walls to guide the visually impaired throughout the library. Marking ADA's 20 th anniversary Accessibility-related conversations have risen to the forefront over the past year as Americans have observed the 20th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the Americans with Disabilities Act into law and proclaiming, "Let the shameful walls of exclusion fi nally come tumbling down." This historic piece of civil rights legislation was pivotal in providing equal access for individuals with disabilities in areas such as employment, entertainment and housing. Park Library planners embraced such accessibility when they planned the library renovation and expansion in the 1990s. Relocating Student Disability Services from Foust Hall to Park Library was an integral part of the plan, says Robert Faleer, a reference librarian and library SDS liaison. "When planning the building and working with the architect, we wanted to make (the library) accessible and a place for everybody, Faleer says. This move to a centrally located, highly accessible facility has worked perfectly for the offi ce and services it provides students, Rood says. CMU is committed to providing students with disabilities the academic accommodations and auxiliary aids necessary to ensure access to all university services, programs and activities, and SDS is responsible for determining these accommodations. Rood says. "One of the great things about the library is that because they're aware of any areas where they may lack, they're great at training and informing staff so they make sure they take care of the students' needs. "The transition to the library has been seamless, and it is probably the best universally designed building on campus, " " In addition to the accessible features in Park Library, within SDS there are various support systems and a study room with adaptive equipment – such as visualizers, enlargers, magnifi ers and recorders – to help serve students with various disabilities. • Automatic sliding glass doors " Student Disability Services Director Susie Rood says Park Library ' universally designed building on campus.' … is probably the best 5