MONDAY September 16, 2019
THE DAILY ILLINI
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 149 Issue 7
UI library renovations promote accessibility BY EUNICE ALPASAN STAFF WRITER
When the Main Library’s first floor bathrooms were under construction in 2015, Applied Health Sciences Librarian JJ Pionke was compelled to do a walk-through of the library map in search for accessible bathrooms in the building. “Here I am as a person of size — without being in a wheelchair, without using a cane — and I’m having problems finding a bathroom in this building,” Pionke said he thought at the time. “What would this be like for someone in a wheelchair or someone who’s using a walker?” Since then, Pionke brought up the Main Library’s accessibility issues to the now-former Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities Jeffrey Schrader. Many of these issues were resolved over the past four years, including installing a handrail to the interior ramp near the Interlibrary Loan services, rebuilding the west-entry ramp to Library 66 and adding more signs. Older libraries such as the Main Library, which was built in 1924, continue to renovate to improve accessibility for students. The University Library announced major plans last October to renovate the Main Library, which is estimated to cost about $54 million, according to a press release. Renovations began a few weeks ago with the moving of the library’s information desk from the second floor
to the first floor, according to Greg Knott, University Library’s assistant dean for business and human resources. The Main Library’s renovation plan, which also entails renovating the main reading room and replacing the oldest part of the Main Stacks, is projected to be completed by 2024. The Undergraduate Library is also working on building a new accessible sound booth located in the Media Commons, according to Craig Grant, associate director of Campus Code Compliance and Fire Safety. Construction started in the summer and is expected to be completed soon. Lauren Bryant, senior in LAS, has a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that causes her bones to fracture easily. She has used a power wheelchair since she was six years old. Bryant said she sometimes goes to the UGL but faces issues with the elevators. “The elevators are ancient and really small,” Byrant said. “You could fit one power chair and maybe one person into those elevators. The building itself is pretty nice accessibility-wise; they have automatic door buttons.” Bryant said in cases where she can’t access resources, she will ask for help from a librarian or student. “Everybody has always been super nice about it; they have been more than willing to help,” she said. “It’s more about me get-
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Lauren Bryant, senior in LAS, talks about her disability at the Ikenberry Library and how the University can improve on its accommodations. The University Library announced their plans to renovate the Main Library, which is estimated to cost about $54 million.
ting over that ‘Oh, I’m being annoying if I ask someone to help me.’ Even though no one has ever given any indication like that.” Severa l Un iversit y Library committees have also addressed virtual accessibility of library resources and information. Virtual accessibility includes factors such as whether or not a website can be navigated intuitively and whether or not a website or database is compatible with a screen reader for those with vision impairments, Pionke said. The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of pub-
lic life, including all places that are open to the general public. Pionke said even though the Main Library is ADA compliant, newer-constructed buildings are always more accessible. “(Grainger Engineering Library) is much more accessible because when it was constructed, they took into account not just the minimum requirements of ADA but what else they could do to make their building more accessible,” he said. Great Value Colleges recently ranked the University as 22nd on its list for the top 50 colleges for students with disabilities.
The University was one of the first in the nation to provide a support service program for students with disabilities with the founding of the Division of Rehabilitation Education Services ( now Disability Resources and Educational Services) in 1948. For students with disabilities, Bryant says her biggest advice is to plan ahead, because the accessible entrance for some buildings may be far from the main entrance. She said she uses Google Maps, where it will indicate accessible entrances for some buildings. She also uses the ADA accessibility maps on the Univer-
sity’s website, which provide detailed descriptions of accessible features of every University building. Pionke, who has PTSD, also considers accessibility in terms of how easily someone with social anxiety can navigate a building. He said it’s important to have compassion, take a moment and notice your surroundings and the people in them. “If you see someone struggling, just reaching out, making that human connection, I think is really important,” Pionke said. “Just being aware that not everyone is experiencing the world like you are.” alpasan2@dailyillini.com
Walmart gun regulation extends to Champaign market share of ammunition from around 20% to a range of approximately 6-9%, according to McMillon. “As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same,” McMillon said. Referring to two recent shootings in Walmarts in El Paso, Texas, and South Haven, Mississippi, resulting in 24 lives lost. In 2019, the United States has experienced 39,243 gun-related incidents, 295 of those incidents being mass shootings. Because Walmart cannot prevent an individual from carrying a gun into stores in particular states by law, the company is “respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where ‘open carry’ is permitted.” Champaign has no provision or “open carry” laws in place, so the store will have no discrepancy over this matter. Champaign police said in an email it is difficult to determine what the impact will be, so the department has no comment on this matter at this time. McMillon wrote letters to the White House and Congressional leadership calling on them to
BY REBECCA WOOD STAFF WRITER
MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI
An array of fruits and vegatables is displayed on a table on the Main Quad hosted by the Sustainable Student Farm on Thursday. The farm is interested in creating a local food system tied into the campus community.
Sustainable Student Farm thrives, profits grow BY GRACE MALONEY STAFF WRITER
This past season has been one of the hardest in decades for the farmers of the Midwest. However, the Sustainable Student Farm at the University has not been influenced due to alternative farming techniques. “Most farmers had a very bad year this year, and that’s really rough, and our heart goes out to them,” said Ben Joselyn, assistant farm manager at SSF. SSF strives to show there are other options and measures that can be taken to protect the farm’s profits and efforts. “Our farm is doing better this year than it did last year, and that’s because we’re growing a diversity of crops,” Joselyn said. Matt Turino, SSF farm manager, said the farm grows 35-40 different crops in a given year on its 6.5 acres of land. “Our biggest crops by far are tomatoes, peppers, car-
rots and beets. By weight they’re the largest things that we grow,” Turino said. Due to the farm’s broad diversity, SSF was able to have record sales, Joselyn said. The farm is currently about $10,000 ahead, a little more than 10% of where it was last year. “We’re doing pretty good in a year that a lot of people struggled, and so not only are we trying to show that it’s healthier for people and healthier for the planet, but it’s financially viable,” Joselyn said. Though being a diversified farm adds a lot to the complexity of the work, it also adds a little bit of a buffer from year to year like what has happened this year, Turino said. SSF works to use lowinput systems as much as possible, Turino said. “We don’t use any synthetic fertilizers,” he said. “We typically use other sources of nutrition for our soil that we can grow on the farm.”
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Turino added that the farm tries to use as few possibly harmful chemicals as possible. “We use no fungicides or herbicides,” he said. “We do use some organic pesticides for insect pressure, but we try to minimize that as much as possible by doing crop rotations and trying to do things that really increase the health of our plants.” Turino said the farm tries to be mostly self-sufficient to pay for most of the farm’s needs and inputs. “Eighty-five percent of what we grow goes to the dining services here on campus,” Turino said. “We’ve had a major relationship with them since the beginning, and we’re part of the crop science department and the College of ACES.” The other 15% is sold on the Main Quad every Thursday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. until October at the SSF farm stand. The farm is also interest-
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ed in creating a local food system tied into the campus community. SSF has collaborated with groups to do different kinds of projects. People have been coming up with research projects or other ways to contribute to the infrastructure of the farm, Turino said. “These projects are interesting to us,” Turino said. “If a student is interested in doing a project that might plug into the farm, we’d be interested in talking to them.” Kimberly Ward, senior in ACES and former SSF intern, works the farm stand on the Main Quad every week. “The farm stand has been really taking off, and it’s by us being here,” Ward said. “We have regulars, we’re setting things aside for people. ‘Oh it’s too heavy, let me bring it to your office,’ like going that extra mile and being
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Wa l m a r t r e c ent l y announced the company will completely end the sale of handguns, while also halting the sale of various ammunition, including in Champaign. Specifically, Walmart will discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition, such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber; handgun ammunition and handgun sales in Alaska — the last Walmart to sell handguns, according to Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, in a memo. This type of ammunition is commonly used in some hunting rifles but can be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons. “The assortment of ammunition we continue to carry will be focused on the needs of hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts,” said Delia Garcia, senior communications director for Walmart. Garcia ex pla ined Walmart is unsure when this policy change will take effect, as the store must first sell through its current ammunition and handgun inventory. “The bottom line is that we are motivated to do what is best for our customers, our associates and our communities,” Garcia said. Walmart believes these changes will reduce their
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