Background Research
As a group, we did some general research about accessibility on college campuses to try to create a personalized survey for UMW students. This included personal testimonies, journal articles, other surveys, and more. We found that there was a general lack of accessibility on college campuses and most colleges do the bare minimum that is legally required by the ADA. Taking this research, we created our own survey. This survey was split into two sections: the opinion-based section and the fact-based section. The opinion section had different questions based on if the respondent identified as having a disability or not.
Survey Results
In our survey, we found that many UMW students perceived UMW as not accessible for people with disabilities. Along with that, there was a lack of general understanding surrounding disability and accessibility. For example, only 48 percent of students could correctly identify the definition of accessibility. See below for the survey results.
Problem and Goal
| Problem Statement | Main Goal |
| Currently, there is a lack of understanding of the requirements, infrastructure, laws, and general knowledge surrounding accessibility at UMW. | Increase awareness/knowledge of accessibility at UMW for students (primary audience) and faculty (secondary audience). |
Objectives
- By May 1, we will increase general knowledge surrounding disability and accessibility from 49 percent to 80 percent, as scored on the quiz.
- By May 1, we will increase the percentage of UMW students from 48 percent to 90 percent who understand the definition of accessibility.
- By May 1, we will change the percentage of students who do not know if their residence hall is accessible from 22 percent to five percent.
- To achieve this, we will make graphics and other promotional materials that correct misconceptions and explain new information. We will make sure all material is accessible for everyone by adding alt text, captions, etc. We will also create a website that will house all of our campaign’s information (both the infographics and textual content).
- By the end of Fall 2024, the relevant faculty will be aware of the issues on campus surrounding accessibility and ableism.
- To achieve this, we will meet with Ruth Davidson, Dr. Shavonne Shorter, and Provost Tim O’Donnell (as well as other relevant faculty) to present our findings and explain what changes UMW students feel need to be made.
- By the end of Spring 2024, there will be a general increase of students who identify as having a disability who will feel welcome and included at UMW.
- Once students are educated on accessibility, we hope this will foster a more understanding and inclusive environment. With our campaign, there will also be more awareness of accessibility needs for students and faculty, hopefully leading to systematic changes at the university.
