Presenter(s): Sydney Retamar
Faculty Mentor(s): Pascoe CJ (Cheri Joe)
Oral Session 3 RA
In a time where advancements in architecture have the feasible potential to give all body types access to innovative landscapes, ableism is still present in many institutions. Sociological literature that illustrates explicit acts of ableism in popular institutions such as college life are sparse. The focus of this study was to explore ableism and its manifestation(s) in universities. The research conducted in this study sought to answer the following question: How do infrastructural landscapes shape the social and educational experiences of individuals with mobility impacting disabilities? Through in-person interviews, six individuals with disabilities were given a platform to voice and/or elevate their experiences with ableism on the University of Oregon campus. This research demonstrates that there is a lack of visibility and awareness for accessible accommodations. Results also suggest that infrastructural barriers inhibit students from socially and educationally participating on the University of Oregon campus. A unanimous consensus from participants illustrates unacceptable architectural landscapes that individuals with mobility impacting disabilities attempt to use or alternatively are unable to use daily. Aside from few exceptions, accommodations—if made at all—are a second thought and are conceived by participants of this study to be made for legal protection of the university above all else, not as a means of inclusion for all body types.