When Architecture Disables: Teaching Undergraduates to Perceive Ableism in the Built Environment

ARTICLES

MVHEN ARCHITECTURE DISABLES:TEACHING UNDERGRADUATES TO PERCEIVE

ABLEISM IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT*

This article describes an exercise ir) which students analyze architectural barriersin campus buildings to understand that people with disabilities are excluded fromeveryday social Interaction. Sociological concepts such as deviance and discrimi-nation prove elusive to students when merely studied from a textbook. Throughthis active learning exercise, students link their experiential understanding ofenvironmental obstacles with theories and concepts about conformity andnon-conformity. In their written work, students report about access In publicspaces, an understanding of obstacles Imposed on people with disabilities, aconnection between the physical and social environments, and deviance as afailure to meet the demands of an environment built for able bodies.

KATHY LIVINGSTON

Quinnipiac University

IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE for able-bodied stu-dents to understand fully the real and day-to-day experiences of people with permanentdisabilities. To increase students' awarenessof how people with disabilities can be ex-cluded from such social institutions as edu-cation or the labor force, I assign an exer-cise that requires students to inspect build-ings on their campus and report on barriersin the physical environment that may affectpeople who are blind or use wheelchairs..Students initially become familiar with ac-cess issues through selected readings.' Inclass, they consider and discuss the relation-ship of barriers in the physical environmentto barriers in the social environment. Oncethey have completed their observations ofthe campus, they report their findings in athree-page paper analyzing stigmatization of

*This project was supported by a QuinnipiacUniversity Faculty Grant-in-Aid. The authorwishes to thank the editors and reviewers fortheir comments on earlier versions of this paper.Please address all correspondence to the authorat Box 394, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT06518; e-mail: [email protected]

Editor's note: The reviewers were, in alpha-betical order, Susan Harris, Jane Rinehart, Su-san Stall, and Diane Tauh.

people with disabilities and hidden forms ofinstitutional discrimination.

Although a goal of the exercise is to getstudents to recognize discrimination, moststudents have difficulty just grasping theconcept of deviance (Horton Smith 1996;Jacoby 1985; Jones 1998) and are unawareof the ways that institutional inequality fa-vors them (Pence and Fields 1999) butpenalizes others. The concept of illness asdeviance (Parsons 1951) is used to explainhow people who are sick and who cannotfulfill their routine social obligations receivea temporary exemption from societal norms

'To begin, the students are assigned Chapters1- 5 in Goffinan (1963). For an overview of thesociology of disability, they read Chapter 6 inWeitz (1996). They then read the ADA Regula-tion for Title II, 1991, "Subpart D: ProgramAccessibility," in the Federal Register; ADARegulation for Title III, 1994, "Subpart C:Removal of Barriers," in the Code of FederalRegulations; and ADA Guide for Small Busi-nesses, 1997, available from the U.S. Depart-ment of Justice or the ADA Web site(www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahoml.htm). For thepolitical struggles of people with disabilities,they read the short articles by various authors onthe ADA, welfare, media, language, sexuality,and health care in "Access Activism" (1993).

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for conditions that are "not their fauh." Buta chronic illness or disability necessitates apermanent exetnption from one's responsi-bilities and can result in the person withillness or disability being stigmatized andexcluded from social interaction. Studentsare likely to protest in response to thisconcept, saying that marginalization oravoidance of people with disabilities is un-fair, unusual, and done only by mean-spirited people.

The concept of stigma (Goffman 1963)can enable students to link deviance with themore subtle ways that people with disabili-ties are "punished" for being different.Nearly all students have experienced avoid-ance or felt socially invisible at some time,so they can sympathize with stigmatizedpeople as described in their readings. Theybegin to acknowledge ableism, or prejudiceand discrimination against people with dis-abilities. But there is a difference betweenindividual discrimination, which tends to beconsciously motivated, and institutional dis-crimination, which is often unconscious andhidden.

Individual discrimination includes overtand intentional acts by individuals that harmminority group members, as in the case of anon-disabled person who takes an accessibleparking space reserved for a person with adisability. Such behavior would typically becondemned by others and regarded as im-moral.

Institutional discrimination, on the otherhand, includes intentional acts that "protectthe advantages of the dominant group," butalso unintentional acts that "result in thecontinued exclusion of a subordinate group"(Miles 1989). Although most members ofthe majority group will preserve the statusquo by defending a system that favors them.many have no personal prejudice or con-scious bias against minority group members.Institutional racism, for example, would in-clude behaviors that defend "the senioritysystem in occupations, or [opposing] affir-mative action, quota systems, busing toachieve racial balance, and open enrollmentin higher education" (Eitzen and Baca Zinn

2000:224). As Welhnan (1977) iindividual prejudice is not a neocondition for institutional discrimination.

Institutional ableism involves such behav-iors as defending policies that disqualifypeople with disabilities from Medicaid ifthey earn wages; defending conditions thatforce people with disabilities to live as de-pendents in crowded or dilapidated housing;voting for political officials who perpetuatepolicies that work against the interests ofpeople with disabilities; and building trans-portation networks that discourage passen-gers who have impairments to their mobil-ity, hearing, and sight.

Students recognize the overt nature ofindividual discrimination but have difficultyseeing the hidden and tenacious quality ofinstitutional racism, sexism, or ableism.This exercise shows them that institutionalableism can be as or more harmful thanindividual ableism if policies in architecture,education, employment, government, andmedia remain tmquestioned and continue todeny rights to an entire group. The Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)was enacted to end such discrimination bycalling for public buildings, work environ-ments, transportation vehicles, and telecom-munications equipment to be made accessi-ble to people with physical, visual, andhearing impairments. But there is still muchroom for improvement. Through this exer-cise, students will discover that, despite theADA, society still operates against peoplewith disabilities in various ways.

It is easier to teach concepts like devianceand ableism when students are involved asactive participants rather than passive ob-servers. Active learning (Meyers and Jones1993) empowers students by encouragingthem to reflect on their experiences beforeanalyzing and discussing results with oneanother. Reflection, or having the chancesimply to mull over ideas and interpret one'sexperiences, is essential to active learningbut instructors seldom make time for this asthey attempt to cover more material(Brookfield 1990). Exercises that requirestudents to reflect and to write about new

I84 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

concepts help them apply those concepts.Teaching complex concepts through activelearning has been explored (Steams 1994),particularly in teaching about deviant groups(Horton Smith 1996). To teach privilegedstudents, as members of the dominantgroup, to perceive institutional inequalityagainst minorities is an exciting challenge.Such active learning exercises have beencreated to illustrate structured sexism(Bohmer and Briggs 1991) as well as racismand classism (Bohmer and Briggs 1991;Cohen 1995; Pence and Fields 1999) tonon-minority students.

In addition, various simulation exerciseshave been used to teach students about theexperiences and environments of peoplewith disabilities as an attempt to increasetheir understanding of aging (Clark, Foosand Faucher 1995) and such disabling condi-tions as tunnel vision, hearing impairment,and dyslexia (Weisz 1990). But simulationexercises can be controversial; French(1995) asserts that an exercise in whichstudents in wheelchairs feign a disability toobserve the reaction of others is offensive topeople with disabilities and cannot replicatethe experience of disability for an able-bodied person. Rather than attempting tosimulate the experience of disability, thisexercise illustrates hidden ableism and letsnon-disabled students see themselves as ben-eficiaries of a structure that favors the able-bodied. By focusing on the actual navigationof a public space, students glimpse howpeople with disabilities are included andexcluded from the built environment.Specifically, they observe architecture inrelation to people who use wheelchairs andthose who are blind by making note ofentry ways, hallways, elevators, water foun-tains, restroom facilities, parking spaces,and signs in Braille. A goal of this exerciseis to teach students that the acceptance oravoidance of others in the social environ-ment is determined, at least in part, by thebuilt environment, which either enables orhampers people with disabilities from navi-gating public spaces independently.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL/ / MODEL OF DISABILITY

The definition of disability used by theWorld Health Organization (WHO) is "anyrestriction or lack of ability to perform anactivity in the manner or within the rangeconsidered normal for a human being"(Weitz 1996:155). Although the WHOmodel focuses on the individual and suggeststhat disability resides within the person, asociological model suggests that disability isdefined or determined by how others re-spond "to bodies that fail to meet socialexpectations...[as] reflected in the social orbuilt environment" (Weitz 1996:155). Thebuilt environment demands certain physicalabilities and "rewards" able-bodied peopleas "normal" but "punishes" those who can-not meet those demands and thus deviatefrom the norm. For example, stairwaysmake parks, buildings, buses and trainsinaccessible to people who use wheelchairs,whereas wheelchair ramps allow anyone toaccess those places independently. A linkcan then be made between access to the builtenvironment and access to the social envi-ronment; public spaces that favor able-bodied people create ableism by makingpeople with disabilities less visible, mini-mizing their chances for social interaction,and making isolation and stigma likely. Re-moving barriers in public places for peoplewith disabilities increases their visibility andprovides opportunities for social interactionamong all people, regardless of their abili-ties. If the built environment were modifiedto accommodate people with various abili-ties, almost anyone could live independentlyand travel to jobs or school without havingto rely on the "mercy" of others for assis-tance. But students need help perceiving andunderstanding these examples as illustrationsof structural discrimination or ableism.

Many good syllabi (Schlesinger and Taub1998) list readings, films, and videos (seeAppendix A) to prepare students for thestudy of disability. I begin by having stu-dents read Goffman's (1963) Stigma. Then Iuse videos to illustrate stigma (Breathing

WHEN ARCHITECTURE DISABLES 185

Lessons 1996) and ways of managing stigma{People in Motion, Parts 1 and 2 1996). Wediscuss the personal empowerment of peoplewith disabilities and challenging stigma{Without Pity 1996). Next, students readChapter 6, The Experience of Illness andChronic Disability, in Weitz (1996) for anoverview of the sociology of disability, in-cluding social policy. They view No Way In(1997), to illustrate discrimination againstpeople with disabilities in jobs, housing, andtransportation. In addition, we read anddiscuss short articles on the politics of dis-ability all contained in the series entitledAccess Activism (1993). Class discussionsfocus on how transportation {People in Mo-tion, Part 3) is necessary to get and retainjobs, and that people with disabilities sufferdiscrimination in both of these areas.Throughout, we discuss how the ADA of1990 was intended to improve access toemployment, transportation, and public ac-commodations, and we explore areas thathave improved since the ADA was enacted.For example, by examining the unemploy-ment rate for people with disabilities, stu-dents see that little has changed since 1990.

To review background information on Ti-tle III of the ADA, instructors can use theADA home page (www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahoml.htm) or various publications on thelaw. The "Checklist" (see Appendix B) isthe easiest way to find the ADA architec-tural standards for ramps, parking, entry-ways, doors, signage, stairs, elevators, re-strooms, drinking fountains, and tele-phones—any or all of which can be used inthe exercise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Organizing Students in TeamsTo prepare for the field exercise, the in-structor must obtain checklists for distribu-tion. "The Americans with Disabilities ActChecklist for Readily Achievable BarrierRemoval" (Adaptive Environments Center1995)^ contains a list of architectural stan-dards and measurements on the left, and acolumn of possible solutions for barriers to

access on the right. The instructor can mod-ify the checklist (see Appendix B) if a lessdetailed list is needed. Listing possible solu-tions for each architectural barrier, how-ever, maximizes the students' learning expe-rience.

The actual class time required for thisassignment is 15 minutes of preparationduring one class before the assignment, anentire class period for carrying out the as-signment, and a subsequent class period fordiscussion.

At the end of the class before the outing, Idescribe the field exercise briefly, ask thestudents to bring a tape measure to the nextclass, and assign students to work teams. Iorganize the teams by dividing the totalnumber of students in class by the number ofbuildings (or discrete areas of large build-ings) on campus. For example, if there are10 buildings and 100 students, there wouldbe 10 teams with 10 students per team. Ifind that teams of no more than five studentseach are the most productive. For a class of100,1 would create 20 teams of five studentseach, and each of the 10 buildings would beobserved by two teams of five students. Theexercise can also be tailored for very largeclasses.'

The Field ExerciseOn the day of the exercise, students report toclass and join their teammates. The instruc-tor supplies tape measures (fabric tapes areinexpensive) to students who did not bring

^Copies of the checkhst, "The Americans withDisabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achiev-able Barrier Removar can be obtained from theDisability and Business Technical AssistanceCenter by calling (800) 949-4ADA. The check-list is also available on the U.S. Department ofJustice Web site (www.usdoj.gov) by selecting"publications and documents," then "reports andpublications," and then "Civil Rights Division."

At least three areas of discrimination areaddressed in the ADA: public spaces, transporta-tion, and telecommunications. For very largeclasses, divide the students into three groups andassign each group to study one of the three areas;then divide each area into teams of about five

186 TEACHING SOCIOLOGY

them and gives each student a report check-list (Appendix B) to record their observa-tions as they inspect their assigned building.One checklist per student allows a team todivide the labor in any way they choose, butstudents must compile their results and, atthe end of their field exercise, report back tothe classroom to hand in one checklist forthe team. 'The collection of reports gives theinstructor an overview of barriers on cam-pus as found by all the teams, which can bereported to the students in the followingclass.

Classroom DiscussionThe class following the field exercise isinvariably one of the most animated of thesemester as the students get a chance todiscuss what they found. They are likely tobe surprised by their observations, and somewill express indignation at the impact ofdisabling architecture on people with disabil-ities. By exploring and rediscovering a fa-miliar built environment, they come to seethat ableism in the built environment exists,albeit unintentionally and unconsciously.

The discussion should be organizedaround key issues: (1) how architectureincludes or excludes people with disabilitiesin the design of buildings; (2) how toachieve compliance with the ADA stan-dards; and (3) how access to the social andbuilt environment can be improved for peo-ple with disabilities. A guest speaker such asan architect, a disability rights group repre-sentative, the campus compliance officer, orcampus facilities administrator, should beinvited to discuss the technical aspects ofcompliance. A large campus with a con-struction management department may havearchitects and engineers, and the compliance

students. The public spaces teams could observebuildings for wheelchair access or access forpeople who are blind. The transportation teamscould study campus shuttle buses and/or publicbuses, subways, and trains to and from thecampus. The telecommunications teams couldobserve buildings for telephone booths and con-sider issues that affect people with hearing im-pairments.

officer may work in that department. Smallcolleges may have a compliance officer ordisabilities specialist in the learning center.

If the instructor prefers to invite a disabil-ity rights activist, speakers may be foundfrom the nearest Independent Living Centerlisted in the local phone book under disabil-ity services. In addition, the National Insti-tute on Disability Rehabilitation Research(NIDRR) provides free copies of its Pro-gram Directory of Regional Centers and canbe reached at (202) 205-8134. Another op-tion is to invite a speaker from a specificdisability organization such as the NationalMultiple Sclerosis Society. In addition totheir specialized knowledge, such speakersare certain to be familiar with the ADA andaccess issues. If students are reticent aboutasking questions, as they may be in largeclasses, they can be invited to write ques-tions on index cards to be read by theinstructor or guest speaker.

Undoubtedly, the students will see areas inwhich the campus seems out of compliancewith the ADA. Remind them that it is hastyand unwise to assume that because barriersexist, the campus is out of compliance.Private colleges are generally categorizedwith private businesses and commercial fa-cilities and are required by Title III of theADA to make "reasonable accommoda-tions" in policies, practices, and programs.Architectural barriers must be removed iftheir removal is "readily achievable" andwithout "undue financial and administrativeburden" (U.S. Department of Justice1994:476). This tentative language in theADA means that not all architectural barri-ers that can be removed will be removed.

Public colleges and universities are gov-erned by Title II of the ADA. Like any stateor local govenunent facility, their campusesmust provide "program access" to peoplewith disabilities and are not required tomodify every building with wheelchairramps or Braille. The ADA requires allgovernment programs, not all govenunentbuildings, to be accessible. If a history class,for example, meets on the second floor of abuilding without a wheelchair-accessible ele-

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vator and a student with a disability isenrolled, the college must move the historyclass to a building with wheelchair access orto the first floor of another accessible build-ing for that semester. As long as the collegemakes the history class available to peoplewith disabilities, and because it is not re-quired to retrofit every building on campus,it may be in compliance. Public campusesare not required to remove all architecturalbarriers; they are required only to niake allprograms, services, and activities accessible(U.S. Department of Justice 1991:35719-20).

Two scenarios are then possible. If thecampus is out of compliance, the question tobe addressed is, "What areas of accessimprovement are mandated by law?" Thestudents will find it enlightening to hear theadministrative explanations for noncompli-ance if an architect or compliance officer ispresent, and they may get to see the politicsof disability firsthand. Students will recall"possible solutions" to barriers from thechecklist they used and may need little or noencouragement to press the experts for pro-posed changes.

If the campus is in compliance, the appro-priate question is, "What areas of improve-ment are not mandated by law but should bemade?" Students may find an elevator withfioor numbers in Braille but then discoverthat the elevator is not equipped to beepwhen it reaches a floor so that a person whois blind would know when to get off bycounting the beeps. Students can be chal-lenged to find similar "gaps" between whatpeople with disabilities actually need in theway of barrier removal and what they actu-ally get from ADA standards for accessibil-ity.

Writing AssignmentA three page paper from each student is dueon the day of the following class. Urgestudents to provide examples from the litera-ture they have read, the videos they haveseen, and the field exercise whenever possi-ble to answer the following questions:

1. Overall, what did you observe aboutaccess to the built environment for peo-ple with disabilities? For which disabili-ties do your observations apply?

2. Overall, what did you observe aboutbarriers to the built environment forpeople with disabilities? For which dis-abilities do your observations apply?

3. Would you consider any of the barriersyou observed to be connected to educa-tion, job, or housing discriminationagainst people with disabilities in anyway? If so, how? And for which group?

4. Take one person discussed in yourreadings or seen in the videos and ex-amine how that person manages stigma.An example from the video Breakingthe Silence Barrier would be BobWilliams. How does Bob Williams"manage stigma?" Would you considerhim an example of "passing,""covering," "disclosing," "disavowingdeviance," or "challenging" the stigma?Choose one and explain how Bob illus-trates that concept.

EXERCISE ASSESSMENT ^

I have used this exercise with students fromvarious majors in a medical sociology courseon illness and disability. Students in geron-tology, physical therapy, occupational ther-apy, and health management, and those whoplan to work with older persons and peoplewith disabilities need to be aware of howclients experience the social and built envi-ronment. These issues are critical since moststudents have never experienced a chronicdisability and are likely to be unfamiliarwith the range of obstacles faced by theclients they will work with. The exercise isalso well suited to a course on deviance byusing the concept of illness as deviance toillustrate how definitions of conformity andnonconformity are socially constructed.

To be truly useful, any assignment mustbe accessible to all students, including thosewith disabilities. An asset of this exercise isthe potential for a member of the class whois disabled to become the "expert," lending

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the most knowledge to his or her team.Once, when I introduced the exercise to aclass, a wheelchair user exclaimed,"Finally!" She explained that in the past, shehad often been excluded from certain cam-pus activities. For this exercise, however,she knew she would be the most desirable"lab partner" in the room.

This exercise can also be done in thewider community at a restaurant, a medicalcare facility, a shopping mall, a library, abus or train station, and a grocery store. Inthe community, allow additional time in theexercise for travel to and from the assignedplaces.

Students' CommentsAn aim of this exercise is for students toconsider the possible ways in which campusbuildings are experienced by people withdisabilities, and to find links between physi-cal barriers and barriers in the social envi-ronment such as structural discrimination inhousing, jobs, or transportation. Severalcommon themes have appeared in students'written reports. The most frequent havebeen general comments about physicalspace. The students have found cars parkedillegally in accessible parking spaces, anabsence of curb cuts to and from the parkinglot, and walkways too narrow for awheelchair. They have observed Braille insome places but not others and have notedthe lack of continuity. One student observed:

I never realized how important an auto-matic door was until the one at (BuildingX) was stuck. It was halfway opened andwould not budge in either direction. Ithought to myself, "What if I was disabledand nobody was here to assist me?"

The second theme is a better understand-ing of people with disabilities, but recogniz-ing the impossibility of knowing what peoplewith disabilities truly feel. Students haveacknowledged the demands imposed onmarginalized people. One student wrote:

This experience provided us with the opportu-

nity to understand and appreciate the physicaland some of the emotional challenges thatpeople with disabilities encounter on a dailybasis. Perhaps a few hours wasn't enough timeto experience the powerful effects of prejudicetoward people with disabilities. But we foundthis experience quite interesting, and we be-lieve everyone should engage in a similarexperience so that they can acquire a betterunderstanding and acceptance of people withdisabilities.

The third theme is the link between socialacceptance or rejection and the demands ofa physical environment structured for ablebodies. This theme is central to students'understanding of discrimination, as typifiedby the following comment:

This experience was a hands-on way to under-stand the plight of the people with disabilities.Even with the physical environment greatlyimproving wheelchair accessibility, there arestill areas where a person in a wheelchaircannot enter. If we lived in a society full oframps and elevators instead of stairs and esca-lators, the wheelchair disabled would not belabeled so.

Last, many students indicated a recogni-tion that meaning is socially constructed(Berger and Luckman 1966) and that waysof knowing or thinking about the world,including definitions of deviance and confor-mity, are socially produced. This theme alsois expressed by the following comment:

(S)ociety today is structured for those of uswho are presently able-bodied.... Disability isa social problem due to the fact that we as anable-bodied society have defined what disabil-ity is. We feel that society is made up ofvarious, diverse groups and none of thesegroups should be denied equal access or treat-ment because of their differences. Overall thisexperience has made us much more setisitive todiscrimination and the needs of people withdisabilities.

Possible Drawbacks and SolutionsOne possible drawback for the instructor isthat the ADA is a complex, voluminouslegal document that takes time to absorb.

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The ADA checklist (Appendix B) makes iteasy to find architectural standards, butinstructors may wish to know more abouthow the law applies to existing buildingsversus new construction, or to privatelyowned buildings and campuses as comparedwith public ones. The ADA InformationLine at (800) 514-0301 provides informationspecialists to answer questions about theADA Title II and III and recommend appro-priate documents.

Another possible drawback is an unpre-pared guest. If a campus compliance officeris invited to class but not prepared ahead oftime, he or she may bear the brunt of angrystudents' accusations of noncompliance withthe ADA. The instructor should review thestudents' findings with the speaker, so thatthe speaker will know what to expect. Thiswill avert any awkwardness in the classroomdiscussion. The instructor might also havestudents brainstorm ways to propose changeson campus regarding noncompliance issuesto the compliance officer. In small groups,students can discuss which methods ofproposing changes might be most and leasteffective.

The exercise assumes students are matureand responsible enough to share the work,and this might pose a problem. With onlyone checklist per group due at the end of theexercise, there is potential for some studentsto take a passive role while letting otherslead. If this is a concern, the instructor maywish to assign a specific role to each mem-ber of the team (restroom observer, parkinglot observer). Similarly, students can beasked to brainstorm in class the day beforethe exercise to anticipate which roles willexist and decide who will fill them.

CONCLUSION

Ableism thrives on the isolation and invisi-bility of people with disabilities. In its nineyears of existence the ADA has promotedcommunity among people with disabilitiesand helped them to increase their visibilityon the streets, in shopping malls, in stadi-ums, and on sports fields. Only continued

advocacy will erode more barriers, chal-lenge stigma, and increase the impact of theADA on society.

This exercise can potentially change stu-dents' perceptions, not only of familiar fea-tures in the built environment but of theoften unconscious discrimination againstpeople with disabilities in education, jobs,and housing. As students observe and reflecton architectural determinants of the socialrelations between able-bodied people andpeople with disabilities, abstract concepts ofdeviance and ableism become concrete. Ac-tive learning exercises that demonstrate thestruggle between more powerful and lesspowerful groups are rigorous, both for stu-dents and the instructor, but the enthusiasmthey engender makes them well worth theeffort.

APPENDIX A. SELECTED VIDEOS

Films, both popular and educational, can be usedas a basis for in-class discussion or short writingexercises to enhahce students' utiderstanding ofdisability and disabling architecture. Numerouspopular films about illness and disability are iden-tified in Schlesinger and Taub (1998). The follow-ing are several educational films to use with thisexercise:

A New Sense of Place (People in Motion, II. PartJ). Producer Vicki Sufiati. PBS 1996. Video-cassette. 60 minutes. Artists who challenge thestigma of disability. Examples include a deafpercussionist and a blind photographer.

Breaking the Silence Barrier (People in Motion,II. Part 2). Producers Gail Freedman and JanLegnitto. PBS 1996. 1-800-420-2626. Video-cassette. 60 minutes. Computer-assistive tech-nology, including the Liberator, a speech-producing keyboard that allows nonspeakingpeople to communicate.

Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of MarkO 'Brien. Producer Jessica Yu. Fanlight Produc-tiotis 1996. 47 Halifax Street, Boston, MA02130. Videocassette. 35 minutes. A Berkeley,California, writer/poet links the personal strug-gle to overcome stigma with the political strug-gles for access and accommodations.

No Way In (NBC Dateline: Access). ProducerJoseph Rhee. 1997. Videocassette #NDL970909. 45 minutes. A three-part series about

190 TEACfflNG SOCIOLOGY

ableism in jobs, housing, and public spaces.Without Barriers or Borders (People in Motion,

II. Part 3). Producer Lyn Goldfarb. PBS 1996.Videocassette. 60 minutes. The disability rightsmovement in Cambodia, Japan, and the UnitedStates, with especially useful examples of barri-

ers to public transportation.Without Pity: A Film About Abilities. Producer

Michael Mierendorf. HBO, Division of TimeWarner Entertainment 1996. 60 minutes. Illus-trates social stigma and deviance disavowalthrough a focus on ability.

APPENDIX B. CHECKLIST FOR ARCHITECTURAL BARRIERS

(Adapted from "The ADA Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal,"available from Adaptive Environments Center, Inc.)

Team Members Names:(Include large spaces for note taking)

QUESTIONS

Campus Building:

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

1. Is there a way into the building that does notrequire the use of stairs?

2. Can an object protruding into the path be de-tected by a person using a cane? (Object must be27 inches or lower.)

3. Does the entrance door have a 32 inch opening?4. Does the control panel in the elevator have

Braille and raised lettering?5. Can a person with a closed fist operate the sink

faucet in the restroom?6. Is there one water fountain with a spout no

higher than 36 inches?7. If a pay phone exists, is it hearing-aid compati-

ble?

- Add a ramp or different route on level ground

- Put an object on the ground underneath as awarning device

- Install special hinges to widen opening- Install Braille and raised lettering next to the

control panel buttons- Install paddle faucet handles

- Add a paper cup dispenser

- Replace existing phone with hearing-aid compat-ible phone

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Kathy Livingston is an associate professor of sociol-ogy at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.She regularly teaches courses on disability, death andbereavement, mental illness, and evaluation research.