OHIO STATE AND COTA TO RESOLVE DISABILITIES ISSUES
COLUMBUS -- Officials of The Ohio State University and the Central Ohio Transit Authority met today (1/29) and agreed to work together to resolve issues related to transportation of Ohio State students with disabilities.
Sarah Blouch, Ohio State director of transportation and parking services, said that she, Patrick Hall, the university’s acting coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act, and COTA general manager/CEO Ron Barnes met for nearly an hour this morning.
“Ron Barnes is extremely receptive to the concerns of students with disabilities, as we certainly knew he would be,” Blouch said. “He expressed a willingness to work with us on everything we discussed, and I am confident that together we can improve on the current situation.”
These issues, she said, included students’ concerns that COTA supply more accessible materials, develop a straightforward and efficient Project Mainstream application process, and schedule improvements supportive of students’ academic and non- academic needs.
“We found Mr. Barnes most open to address all of these issues,” Blouch said. “Some situations that have been brought up are being dealt with immediately by the university.”
As examples, Ohio State’s Handivan will resume Saturday service effective tomorrow, Jan. 30, and extend it on a trial basis through Sundays beginning next weekend. Effective Feb. 5, weekend hours will be Fridays, 6:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sundays, 8 a.m. to midnight. Tomorrow’s (1/30) service hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A survey was already being prepared, Blouch said, to identify on-campus transportation needs of Ohio State students with disabilities. Blouch said that COTA will work with Ohio State to broaden the survey to include off-campus transportation needs, as well.
The COTA-OSU relationship is guided by an advisory team composed of Ohio State students and administrators. Blouch said that the team soon will include a student with disabilities to be appointed by Undergraduate Student Government President Josh Mandel. The advisory team’s next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 4, at 4 p.m. in Room 101, Student Affairs Building, 33 W. 11th Ave.
One of the agenda items will be transportation concerns for students with disabilities. The university also is initiating an enhanced communication program to inform the Ohio State community about service availability and improvements. The program will include fliers in the university’s Handivan, advertisements in The Lantern (the student newspaper), Web site modifications and new service brochures.
Blouch noted: “The university and COTA already are in compliance with, and many times exceed, the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But that does not mean that we cannot do more to ensure that members of our community who have disabilities can freely and actively carry out their lives.”
Contact: Sarah Blouch, (614) 292-9800