Year of Publication

2018

Competition Category

Social Sciences

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School

Sociology

Abstract

This study assesses the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) compliance at the University of Kentucky. Twenty buildings frequently used by undergraduates at the University of Kentucky were evaluated using the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities focusing on Title III, Public Accommodations, and Priority Two, Access to Goods and Services. Data was collected over two weeks (July 20, 2017-August 3, 2017) and then evaluated using descriptive analysis. Data was analyzed looking across checklist items, buildings, checklist categories, and construction dates. Looking across checklist items, compliance ranged from 12-20 buildings out of 20 possible with 18.485 buildings as the average. The least compliant checklist items were signs and signs including braille. Looking across buildings, compliance ranged from 50-70 compliant checklist items out of 70 possible with 64.7 compliant checklist items as the average. The most compliant buildings were William T. Young Library and the Jacobs Science Building. The least compliant buildings were the T.P. Cooper Forestry Building and Bowman Hall. Looking across checklist categories, compliance ranged from 83.34 percent compliance to 100 percent compliance. The least compliant checklist category was signs and the most compliant checklist categories were access to goods and services and general seating. Buildings constructed before the ADA had an average percent compliance of 90.55. Buildings constructed after the ADA had an average compliance of 98.57 with buildings constructed after the ADA having 8.02 percent more compliance than buildings constructed before the ADA. Because state legislature determines the specific code for ADA compliance, further examination of disability access laws in Kentucky would be needed to assess state code compliance.

Notes

Megan S. Coffinbargar won an honorable mention in the Social Sciences category.

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