The Solutions

After surveying and understanding the most evident issues faced by students on campus, we have used our research in order to come up with overarching solutions for the student community on campus. Our solutions proposal is a student-led task force that should be incorporated and funded by the college to promote student welfare. Through our research, we have found that by helping the youth with disabilities by providing services led by students will directly integrate both the academia and practical experience to students on campuses which would prove to provide workforce experience along with creating job opportunities. 

By promoting interconnections on campus, we additionally address the needs of the student body which are to be supported by college support systems and organizations who can be geared towards providing non- profit facilities to the students in need. Queens College, which is so diverse with multitude of problems, can overcome some of these challenges together through our proposals.

Lack of Jobs on Campus

  • Queens college can hire students as peer mentors to support the community.
  • Students can also work as study buddies to support students with disabilities so that they don’t feel isolated.
  • Healthy students can also be employed to assist students with impairments to have easy access to technology.
  • Healthy students can also conduct various workshops and inclusion activities to support the community and spread awareness.
  • Students can also be hired to develop innovative solutions and ventures that promote disability inclusion and accessibility.

Lack of Options

  • We can implement creed readers that can read aloud digital content that is displayed by the professors. This can make the impaired feel more inclusive.
  • Braille displays can be provided for the visually disabled that can connect to digital devices which would allow them to follow along with the professors. 
  • ASL interpreters who are students can assist professors who can help the students  with hearing loss.
  • Students can form committees in order to assist impaired students at various floors in different buildings on campus. This would help in creating job opportunities along with providing hands-on assistance.
  • College can also ensure that e-books or platforms for homework are accessible in accessible formats for the blind so that they can also complete their work on time. 
  • A resources room that allows students to sit down with tutors that can read out the work to them, or write it out for them as students work through it on their own.
  • Translators can be made available for students with different impairments to access books or study materials.
  • Professors can also provide closed captions for video content which would help deaf students to follow along.
  • Technology which can be helpful for the students with disabilities can be installed in the classrooms which can prove to be helpful for the impaired.
  • A feedback mechanism can also be developed in order to help get reviews on technological developments so that the school can improve technology as and when required according to their needs.

Campus Safety

  • Establish a service for on campus assistance to help visually impaired students travel between classes and facilities. Also, provide assistance for people in wheelchairs as some areas can be dangerous for them.
  • Making classrooms signs for the visually impaired using the braille system which are easily readable by the visually impaired community. 
  • Queens college can also identify areas on campus which require truncated domes in order for the visually impaired and build these domes for easy access to the routes to their classrooms. 
  • Student guides can be present at various locations on campus to guide the visually impaired, students with hearing loss, and people on wheelchairs.
  • Installing braille signage on buildings, rooms and emergency exits to facilitate navigation for the visually impaired during the time of emergency can help save them.
  • ASL interpreters can also be present at various locations to help the students with hearing loss . These could also be students who can work when they are free. 
  • Inclined ramps along with rails to support could be built to accommodate students on wheelchairs, especially around buildings like the Honors Hall, backside of the campus.
  • Student assistance can also be present to push the wheelchairs in order to help the students to reach their classrooms on time. This would also result in creating job opportunities for students who need financial assistance. 
  • Big Elevators specifically for students with mobility impairments  can be built inside the buildings in order to accommodate them to go to the other floors. For example, gyms should have elevators for easy access.
  • Dorms can be built in such a way that they are equipped with sources which are helpful for the disabled community who intend to live on campus. 
  • Various equipment can be made available for the impaired students on campus in case they forget theirs at home.
  • A shuttle bus or similar kind of transportation can be provided from one end of the campus to the other end, for example, to queens hall so that the impaired are able to reach their classes on time.