TRANSPORTATION FOR THE HANDICAPPED WITHIN A STATEWIDE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

The University of North Carolina's Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) completed a preliminary study of the transportation needs for handicapped students, employees, and visitors on the sixteen campuses of the University. This study was conducted to refine the analysis of the separate institutional self-study and facility transition plans required for compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The study analyzed the total transportation and circulation systems on these campuses in terms of their contributions to mobility of handicapped persons. Study findings underscored the realization by campus administrators that transportation systems addressing the home-to-classroom problem would be a positive factor in encouraging enrollment by the handicapped who qualify, but are not currently enrolled within the University. As a consequence of this study, two campuses, the University of North Carolina at Asheville and Appalachian State University, have implemented campus-based transportation programs for the handicapped.