Like many others, Jacob Lipson lives in Noyer Complex. In the morning, he gets up, uses the bathroom and gets dressed. When it is cold, he dresses appropriately, like anyone else. The difference between Lipson's morning routine and those of the majority of Ball State University students is that he uses a wheelchair throughout.
"It is a hassle to deal with bulkier clothing such as my big winter coat, but I do it," Lipson said.
Lipson, a sophomore theatrical studies major, has a mild form of cerebral palsy and has been using a wheelchair for as long as he can remember.
He is one of more than 40 students at Ball State who were wheelchair users during the Fall Semester, Larry Markle, director emeritus of Disabled Student Development, said. He has enjoyed working with students with disabilities for five years and hopes to help many students reach their full potential, yet he also acknowledges that students with disabilities, ultimately, should still be treated like students, he said.
"Students with disabilities must meet the same admission requirements as all other students," Markle said. "It is the university's responsibility to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. DSD has been tasked by the university to work with students, faculty and staff to determine what is reasonable."
Lipson has an assistant on campus to help him during the morning if he needs it when getting ready. Any changes in his routine require planning in advance such as calling for a shuttle or riding the MITS bus off campus, he said.
"When there is snow, the shuttle bus service is usually extremely prompt when I call for them," Lipson said.
The shuttle service that is offered to students with disabilities is important in assisting wheelchair users during bad weather, Markle said. The transportation office runs shuttles for students with disabilities and essentially offers door-to-door service on campus. Students must be deemed eligible by DSD before they can use the service. Once given permission, students can call the transportation office to arrange for a ride and the shuttle picks them up, taking them where they need to go on campus.
In order to cut down on unnecessary time spent preparing for the cold, he dresses according to how long he'll be outside. The shuttle service for students with disabilities is "essential" when he must travel far and other schools would benefit from copying it, Lipson said.
Noyer was the obvious choice of residence hall for Lipson for its accessibility and proximity to his classes. His options were limited, as some older dorms such as Elliott Hall have no elevators or ramps. During the winter, snow removal around Noyer is a priority because of the number of wheelchair users living there. The accommodations the complex has are "exceptional", he said.
Lipson's number one consideration when deciding where to apply to college was the available accommodations the school had for wheelchair users. The work done by the office of Disabled Student Development is why he is at Ball State, he said.
"Academics are a major concern too, of course," Lipson said. "But even if a school had the best academic record in the world, I could not attend if the accommodations were not up to snuff."
Wheelchair users are always a high priority on this campus, Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of Facilities Planning and Management, said. The management department oversees the clearing of ramps and sidewalks around campus. Wheelchair users also can call the department's Work Control number at 285-5081 if a particular area is difficult to get through. The department will radio someone to help clear the area for the person. Still, not all areas can be cleared at once, so it's necessary to be prepared, Kenyon said.
"As with anyone who walks, some of the paths may be cleared early and some later," he said. "There will always be multiple pathways to a building though. Since the campus is flat, the access to buildings is generally excellent."
While campus is navigable during the winter, other areas in Muncie are not always as accessible, Lipson said. Areas near bus stops are not always cleared of snow and could make going to places such as the mall or the movie theater difficult.
Markle said that the university and DSD are working to implement or improve the following accommodations for wheelchair users: testing accommodations such as extended time on exams or a scribe for exams or a note taker in class, having specialized desks put into classrooms for the student who is a wheelchair user, housing adaptations with modified rooms and restrooms and campus transportation.
There are more than 600 students who use some type of service from DSD. More than 75 percent of these students have disabilities that are non-apparent, such as learning disabilities. The number of students with physical disabilities on campus warrants the shuttle system as well as other accommodations, Markle said.
Lipson said that he sees himself as a student like any other. The term "wheelchair bound" is inaccurate because few wheelchair users are bound to their chairs, he said. He can and frequently moves around out of his chair by other means, getting in and out of it at will. He said he does not take offense easily, yet he appreciates consideration and assistance when it's needed.
"Most people are nice enough to help," he said.
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