When Mike Ritter ’02 goes out to eat at a restaurant, shops in a retail store or walks across campus, he notices things that many of us do not. He pays close attention to features like parking spaces, curbing, doorways and restrooms. Ritter, the coordinator of the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC), can’t help it; looking out for those types of things has been part of his career for the last 15 years.
“Once you work with people with disabilities for any amount of time, you really develop a new way of looking at the world and as a result, you begin to see things through the filter of accessibility,” Ritter said.
His office, he says, “Strives to create an educational environment that takes into consideration a very diverse group of learners. We remove the barriers and provide the opportunities, but success still rests very much on the shoulders of these students.”
Ritter is marking the 25th anniversary of his office on campus this year, and he recently reflected on the history of the department.
The center started when it was added to the responsibilities of Ellen Kisker in 1989, and six students asked for help that first year. Kisker managed the program until Lois Fox was hired and the position was made full-time. Ritter worked for Fox when he was a student, and became the coordinator when she retired in 2004. Today, it is not uncommon for more than 200 students per semester to request services through the ARC.
A trip across campus reveals accessible sidewalks and parking spaces, resting benches and automatic doors, and a new sidewalk connecting the campus to the Missouri Department of Conservation building, all improvements over the past 25 years. Also, the adaptive technology area has greatly expanded in that time, with more equipment available to students with disabilities and a full-time technician working with them.
But the greatest change, Ritter says, has been the willingness of instructors to embrace a diverse group of learners. “When a teacher becomes inspired to teach in new and different ways so that every student has an opportunity to learn, that is just about perfect.”
And the greatest challenge? A campus that was constructed long before people really began thinking about accessibility. But he is confident that the ARC will meet the challenges and appreciates the support of Shana Meyer, vice president for student affairs, and staff members.
“The students are the greatest success stories,” Ritter says. “If you could only know how hard many of them have had to work to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, you would simply be amazed. Their success is my greatest reward.”
Tree house for everyone is a reality
About three years ago, Mike Ritter ’02, coordinator for the Accessibility Resource Center on campus, had an idea for an amazing tree house – a tree house for everyone, no matter their disability. After a lot of work and support from all quarters of the community, especially from the Parks and Recreation Department in St. Joseph, his idea is coming to fruition.
The Tree House for Everyone was built this past summer at Bartlett Park.
“To say that I am excited about seeing the Tree House completed is an understatement. I have imagined a thousand times the look on people’s faces as they discover that everyone, regardless of age or ability, can enjoy the tree house experience,” Ritter said.
“Unfortunately, we cannot undo the effects of disability or stop the aging process by simply building a tree house. But, what we hope to do is improve the quality of life for everyone in our community. And we think that makes the Tree House for Everyone a very worthwhile endeavor.”