Plans are in the works for handicapped ramps to the Holmes Student Center’s west, east and Blackhawk Cafeteria entrances and a vertical lift to the Huskies Den.

Priority was placed on the combined project of the vertical lift and the west entrance ramp, but a lack of funding has delayed the approval until spring, said Pat Hewitt, NIU associate vice president for business and operations.

Work on the east entrance ramp will include removing windows to avoid the stairs; for every inch of area the ramp will cover, one foot in length must be allowed. A flat space will be installed every 30 feet to allow rest intervals for the handicapped person.

“Every bit of space” is needed, said HSC Director Judd Baker. Ramps at the north and south entrances were ruled out because the north entrance is not used frequently and changes in the south entrance would require major alterations of the staircase, he said.

The vertical lift is a “mini elevator” for the handicapped, Hewitt said. It would open up to the Huskies Den and allow handicapped access to the student center basement, Students’ Legal Services and the Campus Activities Board office.

The Plexiglas lift is safe, said Sue Reinhardt, NIU Handicapped Services coordinator. The door mechanically locks when the lift is in operation.

The lift’s cost depends on the height to which the lift will travel. Those involved in the project are looking towards the government for funding.

The American Disability Act, passed Sept. 7 by the U.S. Senate, provides private and public employers funds if they have 25 handicapped employees the first year of operation. Funding might not come from the act, “but it is worth a try,” Reinhardt said.

The U.S. House of Representatives and President George Bush must approve the disability act before it can take effect. Reinhardt said she believes the act will be received favorably.