10/2002
James R. Marston
Research
Proposal for
University
of California President’s Fellowship
Identification
and Mitigation of Physical Barriers that Limit Access to Education for
People with Various Mobility Limitations: Increasing Environmental Access
through Improved Methods of Information
Delivery.
This proposal concerns two educationally disadvantaged and underrepresented groups; people who use wheelchairs or have other ambulatory restrictions, and those who are blind or severely visually impaired. At first glance, these two groups are quite different, and the academic accommodations they need to succeed in higher education are quite distinct. However, my continued affiliations with, and research regarding, both groups has revealed a common nexus. No matter how welcoming and supportive the university, both groups face barriers that limit full access to the physical environment. Those with mobility restrictions can face structural and absolute barriers that restrict their access to activities. Those with restricted vision can face many functional barriers that also restrict their ability to use the environment in the manner for which it was designed. These barriers are not absolute, but are more relative, because routes and locations can be learned over time. However, in new environments, these barriers are just as restricting to freedom of movement than are any barriers faced by those with mobility limitations. Students at a university encounter a spatially large and diverse area to understand and navigate. In addition, they have a whole new set of locations and paths to learn each term, and might require expert training before being able to attempt independent travel.