Oregon State University is in Corvallis, Oregon.
Bryan M. Vance / OPB
Oregon State University has agreed to pay $475,000 as part of a settlement with a blind student and the National Federation of the Blind. The claim asserted that STEM course material wasn’t provided to the student in a timely or accurate manner.
GL Estes Wallace is the director of OSU’s Disability Access Services. He said it was important to work alongside the NFB to better serve students.
“Some students are Braille users, some students use more audio forms of communication,” he said. “Trying to make sure that we are working with the individual needs of the students, but also navigating the complexities of some of the really challenging science courses that OSU offers, is a really big part of this.”
Estes Wallace said previously, one staff member had supported blind and visually impaired students, and it wasn’t enough.
“OSU took these steps to work collaboratively with NFB to try to come to some solutions and some processes that we all felt served our students the best,” he told KLCC. Estes Wallace added that the solutions, “allowed the professionals who work with those students to feel like they have the support and the resources they need.”
In addition to the $475,000 settlement, OSU is adding positions, training new and existing staff, working with course material providers, and investing in technology.
Karen Richards is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
