Campus auditoriums and sidewalks need to be revamped to be more friendly for people with disabilities, an ISU professor said.

Arvid Osterberg, professor of architecture, spoke Monday night in the Oak Room of the Memorial Union on how Iowa State can better meet compliance codes under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A two-year study covering all areas of campus – including sidewalk slopes, door widths, restrooms and signs – began after the Americans with Disabilities Act was adopted in 1990, Osterberg said. One result of the study showed a lack of integrated handicap-accessible seating in auditoriums, such as the one in Molecular Biology Building.

“Instead, they have put in two alcoves with spotlights above them,” he said. “To get to the front of the auditorium, you have to go down the service corridor, through a door, into a room, on a mechanical lift, then into the front of the auditorium.”

Other areas of concern are parking and routes between buildings.

“We found hundreds of problems on the smaller buildings and thousands of problems on the larger buildings,” he said.

Some changes have already been made, such as the protected entry way with an electronic door opener in Alumni Hall. This entry way does not feature a ramp or lift, which Osterberg said could be ugly and obtrusive.

“They don’t give everyone the same experience,” he said.

Osterberg said the solution isn’t always eliminating steps. At the Campanile, for example, the ground was leveled and a sidewalk was paved.

“They did a really good job on the Campanile,” he said.

However, Osterberg said many areas of campus still need improvement.

“Cracks in the sidewalk need to be fixed and handrails need to be added,” Osterberg said.

While cost may be a factor in improving campus, Osterberg said problems can also be solved with extra planning.

“We really need more full-time staff and we really need a better Web site,” Osterberg said. “We need a lot of things, but we really need more funding.”

Although Iowa State has had successes with renovations, Beatrice Awoniyi, director of disability services with the Dean of Students office, said the university cannot ignore future improvements.

“Iowa State is accessible compared to a lot of universities, but we cannot diminish what still needs to be done,” Awoniyi said.

Osterberg is working with a group of students to produce a book that will better explain the act’s architectural standards in a more straightforward language. A copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act can be found online at www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm.