A normal workday for Lenore Ramm Hill ’00 turned unusual while she was on her way to Duke Libraries.
Hill, who has osteogenesis imperfecta and uses a manual wheelchair, was using a ramp that provided her access to her workplace – a route she had taken many times by herself. On this day, she encountered a well-intentioned man who, despite her politely declining multiple times, insisted on pushing her up the ramp.
“Mobility devices are like parts of our body,” she says. “It’s often uncomfortable for people to push or touch them without permission.”
The awkward situation could have been avoided through education about disabilities and accessibility, says Hill, who is now co-chair of Duke Alumni with Disabilities, a new affinity group dedicated to improving these types of experiences and changing the conversation around disabilities. The group was co-founded by Dr. Henry Friedman, a Duke neuro-oncologist, and junior Jaden Sacks, after Sacks experienced her own difficulties with navigating campus.
Sacks was on crutches due to a severe knee injury, and Friedman, her mentor, stepped up by providing a ride to her Duke dorm after a dinner meeting. At the dorm, they navigated a set of winding ramps, and by the time Sacks made it to her room, she was exhausted. The two realized the challenges people with disabilities face, even on the disabled-friendly Duke campus.
“The disability community is the largest minority group,” Sacks says. “It’s also the only minority [group] that anyone can join in an instant; no one is excluded from the discussion.”
With numerous steps on campus and some steep ramps, going to class can be a daily obstacle, she says. While buildings and services do meet the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sacks notes the designs could be improved.
The first step to remedying these issues is through education and awareness around disabilities, Sacks and Friedman say. Duke’s Access and Accommodation Services (DAAS) is not only collaborating with the group and improving accessibility on campus but continuously looking for educational opportunities, says Christina Kline, executive director for DAAS.
Together with Duke Alumni with Disabilities, they are in the process of creating a Disabilities Studies certificate program. The certificate aims to create both disability changemakers and expand access to resources that can better level the workforce playing field.
Beginning this fall, Duke is offering for-credit American Sign Language (ASL) courses, thanks to the lobbying efforts of students and faculty, including the Duke ASL Club. The course will count as a foreign language credit and provide further education around Deaf culture while engaging with the Deaf community in Durham.
“These programs can increase awareness around disability inclusion,” Kline says. “We can build skills to ensure access in their future careers.”
Duke Alumni with Disabilities is focused on building a community where people with visible or nonvisible disabilities can share their experiences, mentor and help each other.
“Empathy is something we hope to foster in our community,” Sacks says. “There’s value in understanding where we’re all coming from, and we can all benefit from sharing experiences.”