John Jacob “JJ” Wett, a sophomore pre-family social service major, has spinal muscular atrophy, a disease of the anterior-horn cells in the spinal cord.

Wett can’t walk, move his head and neck much and has trouble swallowing. He uses services provided by the Center for Access-Ability Resources to work toward his degree.

“A CAAR counselor will help a disabled NIU student problem-solve with any difficulties they have in classes, from test taking to accessibility to buildings,” Wett said. “CAAR helps me take my tests, coordinate my schedule and obtain transportation. I take my tests at the CAAR office because I must dictate the answers to my nurse.”

Wett uses the Freedom Mobile, a bus for persons with disabilities that is scheduled by the CAAR office, to get from Stevenson to all of his classes and back.

CAAR services are available to help those with disabilities. Their mission is to promote the independence and success of students with disabilities at NIU through integration of positive learning experience and guidance in all aspects of college life.

“NIU does have a firm commitment to provide their programs, classes and whole services to all students, including students with disabilities,” said Nancy Kasinski, assistant director CAAR.

“NIU tries to make everything as accessible as possible, and if the building is not accessible to students with disabilities, NIU is willing to move a classroom to accommodate that student,” Kasinski said.

The majority of students who are disabled at NIU have invisible disabilities such as learning disabilities and hearing and visual impairments, Kasinski said. Students in wheelchairs make up a small majority at NIU.

NIU is required to adhere to federal laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1978 and Americans with Disabilities Act.

“We were under Section 504 way before 1978,” Kasinski said. “That says that no otherwise-qualified individual can be discriminated against because of disability. It gives parameter on what the university is responsible to do and what it is not. The law is not black and white.”

Although NIU is up to code with current federal laws, Kasinski believes that NIU does more than just what the laws says they have to do.

“Unfortunately, when most of NIU was built, most codes were not placed into effect for students with disabilities,” Kasinski said. “All the buildings that have been built since the codes have come in have to be accessible. At the very minimum, NIU is at code and are better than code at many places.”

Buildings such as Anderson, Reavis and Watson halls have had elevators placed into buildings to make them more accessible, Kasinski said.

“Although some buildings in that area have been retrofitted, there are many areas over there that we can’t do anything with because of the way it was built, Kasinski said.”

Resident Halls such as Lincoln and Douglas do not have elevators available.

“Most students with disabilities live in Neptune or Stevenson if they need physical access,” Kasinski said. “Students with visual impairments do not like to live across from Lincoln Highway for the most part because it can be dangerous to cross, so they usually chose to live in Neptune.”