Pictured above: Access to ADA parking is crucial to the educational opportunities of graduate student Kadesha Treco and others on campus with mobility issues.
Imagine driving to campus, looking for a parking spot, late to class.
That search means a few minutes’ delay for most of us. For Kadesha Treco, it could mean she can’t get to class at all.
She uses a manual wheelchair. It’s lighter than a motorized wheelchair and allows her more independence, as it fits easily in her car.
Treco recalled a frantic autumn morning in 2019 when she first arrived as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas.
She circled the Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences building in her car, looking for a parking spot with the familiar wheelchair icon that marks a spot set aside by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Those spots were filled, so she widened her search. Finally, she found metered parking on Maple Street in front of the AFLS building.
The parking spot and AFLS are separated by a walk that takes only a few minutes, but her heart sank as she looked up the sidewalk’s steep hill leading to class.
“There’s no way this will happen,” she said. “I could literally not wheel myself up that hill.”
She tried anyway, struggling slowly up the hill. She didn’t get far before a friendly bystander intervened and offered to help her up the hill.
She made it to class that day, but barely.
ADA = Access
October marks National Disability Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the importance of creating inclusive environments for everyone. This effort extends beyond academic programs and social inclusion — it includes ensuring that all students, faculty and visitors can move around campus freely and accessibly.
One crucial, often overlooked part of this is respecting accessible parking spaces.
University Housing and University Parking worked together this fall on the “ADA = Access” campaign to raise awareness about keeping these vital spaces clear for our students who need them most.
Unfortunately, resident reserved parking lot violations have risen in the last three years.
Total Resident Reserved ADA Citations
(By Fiscal Year)
- 2021-22 — 31
University Parking staff installed new signage at resident-reserved ADA parking spots this fall to inform the on-campus community that fines have increased.
- 2022-23 — 143
- 2023-24 — 156
To stem the rise, University Parking implemented a new fine structure this year, raising the initial fine from $150 to $250. Each subsequent fine increases the amount by $100.
“Ensuring accessible parking spaces for our students, faculty and staff with disabilities is critical to the university’s mission,” said Gary Smith, director of University Transit and Parking.
“Stories like the one about Kadesha should look very different. We hope that by talking about the issue, we can rely on the campus community to keep those spaces clear.”
Treco does use Razorback Transit more often now. She praised the bus drivers’ courtesy and knowledge about how to help her secure her wheelchair.
Missed Opportunities
Parking can be challenging on college campuses, which are often bustling with activity.
However, parking “just for a minute” in an accessible spot while you run into the library or attend a class cannot be tolerated. A minute of convenience for one person can cause hours of frustration or missed opportunities for another.
It may prevent a student or campus employee with a disability from arriving on time for class or work. These inconveniences compound over time, creating unnecessary stress and exclusion.
“When we miss out on class, we miss out on opportunities,” Treco said, a student from The Bahamas.
A common misconception is that access to ADA parking means a person can park in other types of nearby student or staff parking. That is not the case, she said.
The hilly terrain of the university also makes it unusually difficult for those with mobility issues to navigate.
Treco said many people with disabilities tend to blame themselves when challenges like this come up in their lives. But, as a Ph.D. student now, through her studies in public policy, she understands better that society shares a collective responsibility to those with disabilities.
Jennifer Michaud, director of the Center for Education Access, said making space for your fellow students is crucial to ensuring they have access to an education.
“Please respect the needs of others by avoiding these designated spaces. While you may not see it, your consideration makes a significant difference,” she said.
Respect for accessible parking is one way to contribute to a more inclusive and respectful campus collectively. This month and beyond, let us reaffirm our commitment to accessibility by staying out of these spaces unless authorized and spreading awareness about their importance.
Small actions — like parking appropriately — make a meaningful difference in fostering a campus culture that values and respects all individuals, regardless of ability.
This article first ran in University of Arkansas News on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024.
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