Many college students with disabilities have a found a welcome home - and a quicker path to their intended degree - at Ball State University.
A study conducted this year by the Office of Disabled Student Development shows it takes an average of 4.61 years for students with apparent disabilities to earn an undergraduate degree and an average of 4.67 years for students with nonapparent disabilities. Students with no disabilities take an average of 4.45 years to earn their degree.
Ball State has been a leader in accommodating students with disabilities for many years, Larry Markle, director of disabled student development, said. He referenced an article from the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation that said the likelihood of earning a degree is much lower for a student with a disability.
"We're not perfect by any means, but I think that there has been a long-term commitment to this at Ball State," Markle said.
Graduate student Brooke Kinser said the Office of Disabled Student Development helped her find appropriate campus living accommodations. Kinser uses a wheelchair and lives in Noyer Complex.
"They were instrumental in getting me a good room," she said. "I worked with Larry Markle. He helped me find transportation on and off-campus."
Out of the colleges sophomore Joe Hodge said he considered attending, Ball State was by far the most sensitive to his needs, he said.-á-á-á-á
"I toured some other campuses, and they didn't seem that receptive," he said. "Here, I don't feel like I'm excluded from anything."
Hodge is visually-impaired and said he appreciated Ball State's efforts to help him not only move around campus but with his classes, as well.
"They were really responsive in helping me find people to help take notes," Hodge said. -á-á-á
Markle said the Office of Disabled Student Development emphasizes an integrated method of dealing with students with disabilities.
"We want students with disabilities to be as much a part of the campus as any other student," Markle said.
When necessary, Disabled Student Development provides disabled students with adaptive computer technology in order to give them the same opportunities as other people at Ball State.
"For students who can't physically type, there's voice activated computing," Markle said. "For students with difficulty reading, books are scanned onto a disk, and a computer reads the text back."
For students with hearing disabilities, Markle said, Ball State keeps a person on staff to provide closed captioning for films shown in class.
Ball State's door-to-door shuttle service has also been important in accommodating students with physical disabilities. he said.
"They have a shuttle that picks you up just randomly when you call," Hodge said.
He said the audio traffic signals on McKinley Avenue have helped him navigate his way around campus.
"As far as city walking, I'd never had much experience," he said. "The traffic signals helped me learn what to listen for and how to get around. Overall with Ball State, I couldn't be happier. They've done everything they can to accommodate me."
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