Access and Accommodation services provides students with disabilities support and continues to work on improving that support. 

Blake Walker, associate director of Access and Accommodation Services (AAS), said while AAS is performing well, there is always room for improvement. 

“The biggest thing we’re working on right now is educating the campus community on why access is so important,” Walker said. “Generally making them more aware of our services and educating faculty, staff and students on what kind of accommodations are there for them.”

The associate director said AAS is working to help students understand what may qualify as a disability. He said some students may not realize that AAS can assist students with mental health disabilities and developmental disorders such as ADHD. 

Sasha Jones, the physical accommodations specialist for AAS, said the goal of AAS is to make Arkansas State University accessible to all students. She said she wants students at A-State to feel accommodated. 

Jones said AAS offers various avenues of support for students with physical accommodation needs. She said AAS offers a golf cart transportation program to help students get around campus, as well as disability parking, seating accommodations, wheelchairs, crutches and testing support.

Walker said 890 students are currently registered with AAS and receiving support in some way.

Walker said a recent accomplishment for AAS was getting a captioning policy approved. Walker said the captioning policy requires any video used for instructional purposes at A-State to provide captions. He said this policy helps make course content more accessible for students with auditory, visual and processing disorders. 

Jones said AAS also offers services to accommodate students who need extended time or other help with testing. The physical accommodations specialist said students can meet with AAS and their professors to discuss what accommodations are needed and feasible for the course.

Walker said AAS works closely with housing to provide accessible housing options and accommodations for students in need. Every residence hall on campus has ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) rooms that are wheelchair accessible and have flashing fire alarms for students with hearing impairments. 

Facilities Management is another close ally to AAS, Walker said. The associate director said AAS is working with facilities management to address faulty or missing power-assisted doors across campus.

“That is a problem that has plagued us for a while,” Walker said. “They’re just a hard thing to keep up because they get abused and if they’re outside they sit in the elements. We’re working on redoing all of those.”

Jones said the accessibility of doors on campus is a major concern for AAS. She said she noticed a need for more power-assisted doors across campus but maintaining the existing doors is still a priority. 

The physical accommodations specialist said the golf cart program transportation program usually struggles early in the semester.

“It’s a little rocky during the first few weeks of each semester, it’s very busy and there’s a high volume of requests so that’s usually our main complaint,” Jones said. “But it usually smooths out as we hire more drivers.”

Walker said students who notice accessibility issues on campus are encouraged to contact AAS or other relevant departments. He said when work orders filed through other departments such as Facilities Management and Housing are labeled as accessibility or accommodation issues, they are prioritized above other work orders and sent to AAS. 

Walker said before students receive services from AAS, they must submit an application to AAS. He said students generally need to submit verifying documentation for a disability and meet with a counselor to specifically discuss what accommodations they need. The associate director said every student is handled on a case-by-case basis.

“No two students are the same and no two students’ needs are the same,” Walker said. “You’re an expert on your own needs.”

Jones said AAS counselors are good at working with students to find the best time to meet. Even in emergencies, she said, the counselors will help students however they can. 

Jones said AAS is open to any suggestions and comments for improvement. Walker said AAS welcomes requests for new assistive technology and works with students to see if AAS can provide new services that students need. 

The physical accommodations specialist said AAS offers work-study programs for students. Walker said AAS is also always looking for volunteer note-takers.

The AAS office is on the second floor of the Student Union in Room 2181. They can be contacted by emailing dservices@AState.edu or calling 870-972-3964.

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