Accessibility and the University Experience: Where does Bowling Green State University Stand?

Accessibility is a rather broad term, but this paper focuses specifically on accessibility issues for students with disabilities pursuing higher education. While K-12 institutions have disability legislation like IDEA, higher education is governed by several different acts which work together to create a legal minimum. This paper serves to outline what that legal minimum is, whether Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is in compliance with the minimum, and what BGSU could be doing to go beyond the minimum. Based on an analysis of the ADA, Section 504, the 2008 ADAAA, and expert legal opinion, BGSU does appear to be compliant with the minimum. However, there are areas in which BGSU could improve so that it goes beyond the legal minimum, chiefly communication and disability training/awareness. It is important that BGSU works to go beyond the legal minimum because it helps to make students with disabilities feel more welcome on campus. This serves to make campus a more inclusive environment and to ensure student success and persistence