Editor’s note: This story is the third in a three-part series about ISU students with disabilities. Wednesday focused on Katie Greiman, a hearing-impaired senior in communication studies. Thursday focused on Nancy Suby-Bohn, senior in civil engineering, who has dyslexia.

A snowless fall semester is good news for Jennifer Slaats and other students who rely on wheelchairs to get around campus — although nothing short of a blizzard would slow her down.

Slaats, sophomore in elementary education, has a bumper sticker on her chair which reads, “Drive it like you … stole it!” The sticker sums up her fun and lighthearted attitude.

“I taught myself to be carefree with the little things ’cause there’s always something bigger to worry about,” she said.

ISU students who use wheelchairs on campus face many daily obstacles en route to class. Opening heavy doors without automatic door openers, missing desks large enough to accompany the size of a wheelchair, finding accessible bathrooms and dealing with broken elevators are all in a day’s work.

Slaats has muscular dystrophy, but her only limitation is her inability to walk.

Muscular dystrophy is a disease which causes the muscles controlling movement to progressively weaken, according to WebMD.com.

Just because Slaats uses a wheelchair doesn’t mean she depends on it or anyone else, she said. She walked until 1998 — her junior year in high school. The disease slowly progressed and has reached a plateau, Slaats said.

“My body takes advantage of when I’m sick or not healthy,” she said.

Slaats said she can stand up to transfer to another chair by herself and has an accessible vehicle that she can drive.

“I try to be as independent as I can,” she said. “Student Services is always available, but you don’t have to use their services.”

Eleven students are registered as wheelchair users with the Disability Resource Center, although students who use wheelchairs are not required to register, said Todd Herriott, coordinator for disability resources.

“[Some students] don’t see themselves as disabled and don’t ask for help,” he said. “Others don’t see it as help, some know they need help — it doesn’t mean they aren’t independent.”

Even people who don’t use a wheelchair can understand what inaccessibility is like, Slaats said.

“The best way to find out if something is accessible is to sit in a chair, any chair, and do it for a day,” she said.

Herriott says he sees two major problems with accessibility on the ISU campus: elevators and bathrooms.

Marston Hall had a broken elevator for two and a half months last spring semester. Slaats had a class in the building that became inaccessible as a result of the malfunctioning elevator.

“Broken elevators mean students go to class but have to fight to get to the classroom,” Herriott said.

Some bathrooms are more accessible than others, Herriott said. Some buildings don’t even have accessible restrooms.

“These are very basic things students should have access to,” he said.

The university is getting better every year at making improvements across campus, Herriott said.

If he could change one thing on the ISU campus, Herriott said he would improve the accessibility of the Memorial Union.

The only accessible entrance is on the building’s west side, but the only available handicapped parking is in the parking ramp. Students in wheelchairs must wheel all the way across the MU simply to get inside. The Sun Room, which is often used during orientation, is only accessible to wheelchairs through a back entrance.

“The entire tour should go through the kitchen, not just that one student,” Herriott said.

Bathrooms and the Maintenance Shop are also difficult to access, he said.

Herriott said his hope is when students with disabilities encounter a problem or barrier, they know if they share their problems, the center will do their best to fix it.