In February 2000, Duke settled a lawsuit that claimed the campus was not accessible to people with disabilities. Two years, thousands of dollars and countless projects later, the University has made some progress, but students and administrators agree it still has a long way to go.
After years of negotiations with government officials, Duke agreed to an out-of-court settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. At the time, large parts of the University and Medical Center were criticized as unfriendly to the disabled, and the settlement laid out a five-year timetable with specific goals for improvements in pathways, transportation and other facilities and services. Under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, universities and other institutions with public accommodations must provide access to people with disabilities.
"One of the biggest challenges has been the complexity of the University and the Health System, but the folks that I've gotten to work with have been very good at setting up a system that answers everyone's concerns," said Mary Franks, director of disability compliance programs. "We've really opened up lines of communication."
Franks said those lines have facilitated progress in both facility and disability service improvements.
Many of the changes in the past two years have been relatively small, aimed at meeting the minimum standard of accessibility to the first floors of buildings. By adding more ramps, curb cuts, automatic door openers and other improvements, Duke has been able to extend incrementally the access of the campus.
"I think we've come a long way, but like I say things take time sometimes," said Marianne Marlo, a patient resource manager in the Medical Center. "Sometimes you have to start a fire in order to get people moving."
Marlo, who is physically disabled, has been active in campus access issues since she was unable to attend a meeting in the Nelson Music Room when she was a graduate student four years ago. Located on the second floor of the East Duke Building, the room was first made accessible with a motorized lift and is now accessible via elevator through the new White Lecture Hall.
More generally, she said Duke has become far more responsive to access complaints, especially through the Duke University Access Committee--a group of students, staff members and administrators dedicated to discussing current access issues--on which she serves. As an example, she cited the creation of a ramp in the curb near the School of Nursing soon after she made a complaint.
Duke is just beginning to move into its second stage of making buildings fully accessible. Several buildings still lack elevators, but a number of them--including many on Main West Campus as well as Gilbert-Addoms and Wilson dormitories and the East Duke and West Duke buildings--were exempt from ADA under the 2000 agreement because of their age and structure. Upcoming renovations to Main West will make those dorms fully accessible despite their exemption.
"When you look at the architecture of Duke, it can often be a challenge to make buildings accessible without taking away from their character," Franks said.
All new campus buildings are designed to be ADA compliant. In some cases, compliance has caused significant changes to projects, Franks said, including the placement of the White Lecture Hall next to East Duke and the design of the Wilson Recreation Center entrance to provide access to Card Gym.
Nevertheless, most issues of ADA compliance in parking and transportation have long been resolved. All campus buses are fully accessible, and the University has the required number of parking spaces for disabled drivers. The number of spaces varies by lot, however, and parking officials acknowledge they can not always have enough spaces where people want them.
"One of the things we have to focus on is that we have a transportation system--that is parking and that is transit--so we want to give [disabled] people choices," said Cathy Reeve, director of parking and transportation.
The University also provides many additional services for people with physical disabilities. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities coordinates many of the activities, including van transportation, housing arrangements and placement of classes in accessible rooms.
Natalie Popovic, a senior, praised the University's efforts to provide full access in both facilities and services. For example, disability services officials make sure her classes are in accessible classrooms.
"My experience has been very good, that Duke is very willing to make whatever changes are needed," Popovic said. "They do it in a very timely manner."
Other students said disability services have at times been less than accommodating.
The responsiveness of the administration has declined significantly since a staff change last year, said Jeremy Block, a senior and member of the Access Committee. Block, who is legally blind, is supposed to receive enlarged textbooks for classes and said he has still not received them, although in the past he received them well before the semester began.
"I would have to say that the way they've been treating it has been neglectful in some cases, and haphazard in others," Block said. "There seems to be a stigma here against listening to students. It's only when the parents, the people with money, get involved that things happen."
Ashley Kappes, a sophomore, said she also has often had difficulties in dealing with the University on disability issues since the same staff change. She said Duke could be more responsive to students' individual concerns, including housing and parking.
"They seem to be complying with the law, but they don't seem to think about what's actually logical," Kappes said.
Emma Swain, director of student disability services, declined to comment on the staff change and maintained that her office is committed to serving the needs of the disabled.
Franks acknowledged many of the most difficult projects remain ahead, but she stressed that the University is committed to maintaining a friendly environment for people with physical disabilities.
"What we really want to do is think about more than just complying with the law," Franks said. "Our goal is to make campus totally accessible."
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