This can be broadly interpreted as access to traditional consumer products and products such as lectures, computer labs, and financial aid services. The need for this project stems from two primary phenomena. First, technology is changing very rapidly, including the technology that people with disabilities may use. Second, students and other campus users have the right to a timely and equal opportunity on post-secondary campuses. This results in an unfortunate situation.
Most university campuses are unprepared to deal with difficult technology accommodation situations.
The 20,000 available assistive technology devices and the lack of personnel familiar with them or how they might be used, compounded by the lack of resources to keep personnel up to date in the assistive technology and universal design field present insurmountable problems for individual UWS campuses. Traditionally, accommodation has been used to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. However, in recent years we have learned that accommodation is reactionary and therefore is difficult to provide in a timely and effective manner that meets the intent of the disability access laws. Improved design can help reduce the need for accommodation. The use of universal design concepts in particular has implications for all users, making it an equitable solution, while meeting the needs of our changing population.