There was no wheelchair ramp as Ashley Lerch approached the stage.

The crowd of about 75 began to murmur softly, nervously.

The problem was clear — and ironic. Lerch was paralyzed from the waist down after being run over by a tractor at age three. She has been in a wheelchair ever since.

“These are the types of things I’ve had to learn to take in stride,” Lerch said.

Lerch, sophomore in genetics, was a part of a panel addressing diversity and disabilities at Iowa State in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union, “Diversity and Disability: Open Minds and Open Doors.”

A ramp was found immediately, and after a few good-hearted jokes about this being a good example of the challenges persons with disabilities face, the program was able to continue.

After opening remarks by ISU President Gregory Geoffroy at Tuesday’s program, each of the five members of the student panel shared the experiences they faced being ISU students with disabilities.

The problems the students discussed ranged from issues of accessibility to accommodations for students who deal with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

One of the major issues facing the students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is receiving quiet rooms in which to take quizzes and tests.

Kevin Finck, junior in electrical engineering, talked about his battle with the disorder and how it can often be difficult for him to find a classroom that is not distracting.

“I tell my professors, ‘Put me in a broom closet, I don’t care, as long as I can concentrate,'” he said.

Finck said while it is a challenge to have a invisible disability like his, he has had a lot of good experiences at Iowa State.

“I have found all my mathematics professors to be very accommodating. I don’t know if they quite understand the problems, but they are certainly accommodating,” he said.

The issue of professors and teaching assistants being willing to work with the students was the topic concentrated on most.

“Accommodations are not meant to give anyone an advantage; they are for equal opportunity,” said Sarah Hart, graduate student in curriculum and instruction. “Equal is not the same.”

The luncheon was the second President’s Forum on Diversity of the semester. Geoffroy said Tuesday’s event was special because it combined the ideas of the Dialogue on Diversity program with Iowa State’s acknowledgment of Disability Week. Disability Week is being celebrated on the ISU campus Tuesday and Thursday.

“Diversity is a top priority here at ISU,” Geoffroy said. “By combining both of these programs, we have the opportunity to reach out to a greater audience.”