"Going Outside the Classroom to Address Barriers to Access for the Disabled"

Professor Ann McGinley teaches Disability Law as part of the Health Law Program at Boyd.  Students cap off the semester by performing architectural barrier assessments of community sites. These assessments determine whether the location complies with accessibility laws and regulations that guarantee access to persons with disabilities. Students also make recommendations for improved access over and above the legal requirements. In the past, students have studied a wide variety of publicly- and privately-owned sites, including playgrounds, high schools, bars, casinos, parks, hotel websites, renovated downtown projects, courthouses, and university facilities. Working in pairs, students author reports and present their findings to the class and share their results with owners or operators of the facility.