Disabilities have existed as long as people have and will continue to exist for as long as humankind persists. However, despite being an ever-present demographic within the population, disabled people haven’t always had access to essential accommodations and resources.
Founding of Point
UW-Stevens Point was founded as Stevens Point Normal School in 1894, residing only in the building now called Old Main, and joined the UW system later in 1971. Within the early stretches of this time period resources for students and staff with disabilities were very limited. Any resources for disability that were needed were often managed in less formal manner via fellow staff and students. Accessible architecture such as ramps, elevators and accessible restrooms were not available.
(Jakubovich, 1894)
The Architectural Barriers Act
The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) helped to address some of these issues. It set in place architectural requirements for buildings to be built or altered in a fashion which ensured more accessibility for disabled individuals. This included accessible entrances, exits, doorways, walkways and ramps as well as features like disabled restrooms and parking.
The Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibited the discrimination of people because of their disabilities on a more federal level. The act sought to prevent disabled individuals from being discriminated against for being disabled in regards to employment, this included a requirement that disabled people must be given the same opportunities to be hired and retained over the long term as anyone else would. Accessibility is also an important detail in the Rehabilitation Act, it includes sections like section 508 which mandated that federal agencies must have their information available in ways accessible for people with disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was put into place soon after the Rehabilitation Act in the summer of 1990. This act broadened disability protections beyond just employment and instead expands into the public more. From architecture and transportation to individual accommodations, the ADA focuses on making sure that people with disabilities are given the same type of opportunities, public resources and spaces that people without disabilities have access to.
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA) helped to build off of the ADA’s protections with the goal of being able to reach and protect as many disabled individuals as possible. The ADAAA accomplished this by broadening the definition of disability as well as its protections in order to counteract several supreme court rulings that had previously excluded conditions such as cancer, diabetes and epilepsy.
UW-Stevens Point Disability Resources
With each act passed, UW-Stevens Point has been updating its campus to achieve greater accessibility for its disabled students and staff. Across campus in various buildings and dormitories you can now find ramps, elevators, disabled parking, disabled restrooms and wheelchair-accessible entrances, exits and walkways.
The UW-Stevens Point Disability Resource Center (DRC), formerly known as the Office of Disability Services, is a helpful on-campus and online resource that helps make accommodations easier for those needing to attain them. The DRC covers a wide range disabilities including injuries, impairments (sight, hearing, health, etc.), neurodevelopmental disorders, psychological disorders, as well as both permanent and temporary disabilities. The UWSP DRC offers a plethora of accommodations in the form of learning accommodations like alternative testing spaces and times, assistive technology and a strong support system with welcoming staff.
Originally founded in 2011 by Allegra Stout and Nev Jones, the Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring organization (DREAM) is another resource for disabled college students. DREAM’s goal is to help students with disabilities connect and find community and in this mission to help, DREAM hosts a plethora of informational activities and resources such as webinars and digital mailing lists. DREAM chapters, such as the one in UW-Stevens Point, also host fun events for their local community such as meet-ups, games and activities accessible to the broadest amount of people. Chapters and partners spread out from the original DREAM location at Syracuse University and the UW-Stevens Point chapter was founded very recently in 2023 and works very closely with the UWSP DRC.
(DREAM-UWSP Logo, 2024)
Conclusion and Finding Resources on Campus
Although the resources and systems currently in place to aid people with disabilities are by no means a perfect system, disability resources and accessibility have come a long way since the founding of UW-Stevens Point and have a very promising potential for growth and further evolution.
The DRC, previously located in room 108 of the Collins Classroom Center building, is in the process of moving where they can now be found in the Student Resource Center in the UWSP library and can help connect students to any of the available resources that may be needed.
UW-Stevens Point’s DREAM chapter events and sign ups can be accessed via the SPIN website or app. The organization also hosts weekly meetings with options for in person and virtual attendance. Their official discord page can be found on their SPIN site and be used to connect with the group.
Works Cited
“ABA & ADA: A Timeline of Accessible Architecture & Facility Design,” AIM Services INC., July 20, 2020, https://www.aimservicesinc.org/news/ada-architecture/.
“What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?,” ADA National Network, Accessed May 12, 2026, https://adata.org/factsheet/what-is-ada.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accessed May 12, 2026, https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/americans-disabilities-act-amendments-act-2008.
“Architectural Barriers Act (ABA),” Northeast ADA Center, Accessed May 12, 2026, https://link.northeastada.org/resource/architectural-barriers-act-aba.
“Disability Resource Center (DRC),” University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, accessed May 12, 2026, https://www.uwsp.edu/disability-resource-center/.
Gwen Pabich, “Student Organization Spotlight: DREAM,” The Pointer, November 5, 2024, https://thepointeruwsp.com/student-organization-spotlight-dream/.
“Learn More About DREAM,” Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring Group, accessed May 12, 2026, https://www.dreamcollegedisability.org/learn-about-us.html.
“Rehabilitation Act of 1973,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Accessed May 12, 2026, https://www.eeoc.gov/rehabilitation-act-1973.
“UW-Stevens Point embraces challenges, opportunities,” UWSP in the News, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, January 15, 2019, https://www3.uwsp.edu/ucm/uNews/Pages/SPJ-ChancellorColumnJan19.aspx
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