Greektown fails to meet ADA standards
No plans have been set to make the necessary renovations.
Published Aug. 25, 2009
Panhellenic Association President Caroline Vastyan said as far as she knows, none of the Greektown chapter houses are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but she said there was a disabled woman participating in recruitment.
"Membership and participation shall be free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation or disability," the Missouri Panhellenic Association's Constitution states to guarantee recruitment is open to all students.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires any residential housing to employ reasonable accommodation when housing a person who is disabled. Reasonable accommodation can be anything from renovating buildings to suit the needs of the disabled, to providing appropriate aids and modifying schedules or equipment.
Accommodation applies to all facilities unless an undue hardship is imposed on the organization. Undue hardship consists of large financial strain or the compromising of a building's integrity or structure.
Under the clause of reasonable accommodation, as well the PHA constitution, the chapter houses at MU are therefore obligated to meet the needs of disabled students with appropriate structures and equipment inside each house.
"Campus buildings are exempt from our zoning regulations," Columbia City Planning Department Director Tim Teddy said. "Homes were built in a pre-code era, so they would only need to be handicapped accessible if it was a brand new sorority or fraternity. Fire safety can be retrofitted without altering stairways and building entrances."
Vastyan said though the houses do regulate themselves, all fire codes required by Columbia are adhered to.
Vastyan said houses are raising money for renovations, such as those to comply with the mandated sprinkler systems, but she doesn't know of any renovating for ADA compliancy. She said she wouldn't rule out houses doing ADA compliant renovations.
"I wouldn't be surprised if in a house getting renovated, that was a part of it," Vastyan said.
City Council recently mandated updated fire safety sprinkler systems for Greek chapter houses on campus, yet neither the council nor Greektown has brought up the issue of handicapped renovation.
"I'm not sure why it's not come up," Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said. "It's surprising."
Homer Page, chairman of the Columbia Disabilities Commission, said the federally administered ADA does not exclude the privately owned chapter houses, which function mainly as a housing program.
"They are responsible for complying with the terms of the ADA," Page said.
Campus Facilities Director Karlan Seville said handicapped regulations in Greek houses do not go through the university. As privately owned facilities, neither City Council nor MU has control over zoning or building regulations.
