DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Like many buildings in New York City, St. Francis College checks all of the boxes for compliance with the requirements set out by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It has the needed elevators, ramps, and signs in Braille throughout its new campus.
But beyond the logistics for disability accessibility, the school is actively creating a welcoming culture of equity along with forward-thinking intended to overcome additional physical barriers.
As well as being ADA-compliant, St. Francis College is working toward being fully disability inclusive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that disability inclusion means “making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires.”
It requires more than simply encouraging people with disabilities — it makes sure there are practices in place to lead to increased participation in socially expected life roles and to have equal access to health promotion activities.
“Disability inclusion means understanding the relationship between the way people function and how they participate in society, and making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires,” according to the CDC.
St. Francis is also thinking beyond simply hitting all the base requirements to be ADA-compliant. For example, the floors in all classrooms and hallways are polished concrete. This ensures that there is no problem with wheelchair mobility or those with crutches tripping.
The entire campus is in one building, so there is no going between buildings or having to push through crowds of pedestrians on busy streets. The ramps are at a slope designed to be easier to push up. There are also protocols in place meant to protect those with disabilities in emergency situations.
In all, the school has taken small, voluntary steps to “help shape the change” with accessibility, said St. Francis College interim president Tim Cecere.