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10-04-2009, 04:53 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
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Physical (in?)accessibility of the Greek life?
Hi all,
I'm wondering how accessible your Greek system/houses are to those with physical disabilities.
I go to a campus with a small but rather old (all four chapters are 80+ years) NPC Greek system, and, perhaps as a result, our houses are old and thus pretty inaccessible. I have a physical disability, and while I'm fortunate enough to be able to get into my chapter's house with some minimal assistance, I haven't been able to live in due to the house's inaccessibility. We had two girls in wheelchairs go through recruitment last year. Both pledged different houses (from me and from each other), but both have since disaffiliated, and it wouldn't surprise me if the lack of accessibility was part of--but not all--of the issue.
To be clear, I love my sisters, and they've always been really great about making sure things are accessible to me. I'm just curious about the level of accessibility at different campuses, and if/how this has been handled with regards to PNMs/NMs/members with disabilities.
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10-04-2009, 05:11 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sweet Home Alabama
Posts: 4,575
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This is a difficult question to answer as there are so many different variables. Each house is independent and may or may not be locally owned. As a matter of law, we are exempt from ADA requirements as we are private organizations. On the other hand, we want to be accessible to our members. The physical limitatons of existing properties often make that very difficult to accomplish. If the house is landlocked, it is difficult to add on a handicapped accessible unit. It may not be possible to move load bearing walls. Or it may be possible but not financially feasiable. In some locations, groups have made their homes more accessible. On campuses where the houses are owned by the U, it is up to the U to handle that if they fall under the ADA requirements.
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10-04-2009, 05:21 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
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^
Yeah, I'm familiar with that-- thanks, though. I'm more interested in specific experiences with regards to accessibility and/or members with physical disabilities,
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10-04-2009, 06:21 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 900
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I can speak from a House Corp member's perspective. I know our house was built only 10 years ago ( owned by sorority and not university) and meets the ADA rules as they applied at that time. We have a special needs room downstairs which doubles as our guest suite when not in use. All of our doors are wheelchair assessable as well as all downstairs bathrooms. We even have an elevator shaft ready but no elevator as yet. This year we have one special needs member living in with her dog. All seems to be going well. We offered her the room downstairs with a private bath but she chose to live upstairs with her sisters. BTW, her dog is loving all the attention.
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10-04-2009, 08:16 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,142
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I have a physical disability myself, and for the most part, accessibility did not negatively impact my experience.
My chapter house in college had a first floor bedroom and bathroom that were completely accessible, so I was able to live-in with no problems.
__________________
"Remember that apathy has no place in our Sorority." - Kelly Jo Karnes, Pi
Lakers Nation.
Last edited by KSUViolet06; 11-05-2009 at 06:45 PM.
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10-06-2009, 12:38 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 14
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x
Last edited by gt0854a; 11-11-2014 at 12:41 AM.
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10-06-2009, 02:02 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Old South
Posts: 2,935
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I remember one of our houses pledged a girl who used a wheelchair. They added handicap access and negated their historic structure access.
My daughter's sorority added access via a ramp to the ground floor, but their chapter room is downstairs and the girl's rooms are upstairs...no elevator. Plus no accessible bathroom on the ground floor.
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10-07-2009, 02:23 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 661
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSUViolet06
My chapter house in college had a first floor bedroom and bathroom that were completely accessible.
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Ditto at North Texas. With the exception of the Chi O lodge, which is not a live-in house, all the facilities have at least one first-floor bedroom and bathroom suite that are wheelchair accessible.
__________________
Green, green, the ivy twines...
*~*~Alpha Phi.♥AΦ♥.1872~*~*
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10-07-2009, 05:43 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: U.S.
Posts: 3,322
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Two recent remodels / renovations at Dartmouth have made the Tri Delta and Alpha Xi Delta houses accessible, at least to some degree. An article mentions this, and more:
http://thedartmouth.com/2009/10/07/news/construction
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11-05-2009, 06:28 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: U.S.
Posts: 3,322
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Very recent articles, from two different campuses, about new sorority members who have disabilities. One's an Alpha Xi Delta at Kent State; the other's a Kappa Kappa Gamma at the U of Missouri. Each article has a pic to go with the story.
the Kent State Alpha Xi:
http://media.www.kentnewsnet.com/med...-3820583.shtml
and the Missouri Kappa:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/st...ty-new-member/
ETA: The story about the Mizzou student touches upon some possible interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I would encourage readers not to rely solely on those statements; it's not that they're "wrong" or "right," necessarily, just that interpretation of the ADA (and any similar state laws) isn't a particularly simple matter.
What I find interesting and encouraging about the stories is their recognition that, perhaps, more people with disabilities are seeking and finding "homes" in Greek life. (For plenty of GCers that's not news, of course.)
Last edited by exlurker; 11-05-2009 at 06:47 PM.
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11-05-2009, 06:43 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by exlurker
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Yay Kent.
Our Greek system has had quite a few people with disabilities involved in it. A few of my friends and I were featured in a Stater article on the subject back when we were actives (circa 2005ish). It makes me happy to know that people with disabilities continue to get involved (and the Stater continues to highlight the positives of the Greek system).
__________________
"Remember that apathy has no place in our Sorority." - Kelly Jo Karnes, Pi
Lakers Nation.
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11-05-2009, 06:55 PM
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GreekChat Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: U.S.
Posts: 3,322
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KSUViolet06
Yay Kent.
Our Greek system has had quite a few people with disabilities involved in it. A few of my friends and I were featured in a Stater article on the subject back when we were actives (circa 2005ish). It makes me happy to know that people with disabilities continue to get involved (and the Stater continues to highlight the positives of the Greek system).
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Oh hell yeah; I remember that quite well, but obviously I myself couldn't "cite" you, since that could have come across as a Poster Child kind of thing. I agree, by the way, that it's good to see news like this of Greek system positives.
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11-05-2009, 07:06 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by exlurker
Oh hell yeah; I remember that quite well, but obviously I myself couldn't "cite" you, since that could have come across as a Poster Child kind of thing. I agree, by the way, that it's good to see news like this of Greek system positives.
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Ha. I get it. Definitely not a poster child, lol.
__________________
"Remember that apathy has no place in our Sorority." - Kelly Jo Karnes, Pi
Lakers Nation.
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