Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1992, all public institutions, including West Virginia University, are required by law to provide equal access to program services for individuals with disabilities.
    According to members of ADAPT, an organization primarily made up of disabled citizens, WVU is not properly meeting the requirements of the ADA and therefore is breaking national law.
    ADAPT charges that the University is not providing them with the proper access to the education that is entitled to them.  They state that besides the lack of physical access to buildings and classrooms, the University is not providing them with the proper resources in a timely manner to receive an education.  Theses resources include note takers, books on tape, readers, interpreters and other assistive technology.
    "We realize the University is making a difference in its physical access," said Ken Ervin, WVU student and member of ADAPT.  "But going to a college is more than physical access.  Getting a quality education is more then getting through the front door."
    "They are settling for a second class education," said WVU student and ADAPT member Mickey Finn.  "The University, i.e. Gordon kent, is saying to people with disabilities that you should not worry about the quality of education, just that you are getting one."
    Gordon Kent is the associate director of the University Department of Social Justice.  Kent and other University officials were unavailable for comment.
    The ADAPT organization acknowledges WVU is making attempts to assist disabled students.  However, they state the current system of providing assistance is untimely and individual problems are remedied on a case by case basis.  According to ADAPT, there is no systematic approach for receiving the necessary assistance.
    "It is always the finger in the dike approach," Ervin said.  "They wait until someone screams to plug the hole.  We are sick of this system that is reactive.  We want a system that is proactive."
    It's this lack of a sincere effort, he said, that has discouraged disabled students from attending.
    West Virginia University.  Vicki Shaffer is one of those students and she claims the University persuaded her not to attend WVU but to go to Marshall University instead.
    "In Huntington, disabled students come first," Shaffer said, "but here they seem to come last."
    Shaffer eventually attended Marshall because she felt WVU would not adequately meet her unique needs as a disabled student.
    ADAPT states the most immediate concern that can be met is the lack of signs around campus.  They feel that there are not enough or large enough signs pointing them in the right direction of ramps and handicap accessible entrances..
    "Sinage is a big problem,"  Chris Sunseri, an ADAPT member said.  "A lot of things are accessible but the little things need to be pointed out."
    The ADAPT organization has appealed for help to other groups, mainly the Board of Governors and Student Administration President Rachel Welsh, to assist them with their grievances.
    "We tried to got thorough Disability Services and through the ADA director," Ervin said.  "We tried to go though the proper channels but we feel it is now time to stop running in circles."
    Finn also commented on the group's need to draw attention to their plight.
    "We had to totally bypass Disability Services and Social Justice, which is sad because Disability Services should be our advocate," Finn said.
    According to Ervin, Welsh contacted him after a Board of Governor's meeting that he and other members of ADAPT spoke at.  Welsh told him someone from President Hardesty's office would meet with the organization and that within two weeks President Hardesty himself would meet with the disabled students.