LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

From: Sigrid Peterson From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articleFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition. From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically addresses this pervasive problem with From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically addresses this pervasive problem with buildings at the University of Pennsylvania, in the following languageFrom: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically addresses this pervasive problem with buildings at the University of Pennsylvania, in the following languagefrom Section III. From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically addresses this pervasive problem with buildings at the University of Pennsylvania, in the following languagefrom Section III.In Section 3.02, discrimination is defined to include From: Sigrid Peterson Subject: Welcome News about Van Pelt LibraryTo: letters@dp.upenn.eduDate: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 19:30:26 -0400 (EDT)MIME-Version: 1.0The Thursday, July 20th, edition of the DP carried an article under theheadline "Van Pelt Library to be Transformed." The thrust of this articlewas that the transformations under way will make the library much more user-friendly, a highly desirable change. Writing from the point of viewof a Penn student with disabilities, I especially have to applaud these changes, as they represent the first major renovation that Penn is undertaking after the Americans with Disabilities act became fully and unequivocally applicable to places of public accommodation, including public and private places of education, by definition.The motto of Penn points to the rule of law, so I am sure that the renovations now under way will provide front-door access to the Van Pelt Library for people with mobility impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act specifically addresses this pervasive problem with buildings at the University of Pennsylvania, in the following languagefrom Section III.In Section 3.02, discrimination is defined to include SEC. 302. PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION BY PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation. (b) Construction.-- (1) General prohibition.-- (A) Activities.-- [...] (ii) Participation in unequal benefit.--It shall be discriminatory to afford an individual or class of individuals, on the basis of a disability or disabilities of such individual or class, directly, or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements with the opportunity to participate in or benefit from a good, service, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation that is not equal to that afforded to other individuals. (iii) Separate benefit.--It shall be discriminatory to provide an individual or class of individuals, on the basis of a disability or disabilities of such individual or class, directly, or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements with a good, service, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation that is different or separate from that provided to other individuals, unless such action is necessary to provide the individual or class of individuals with a good, service, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation, or other opportunity that is as effective as that provided to others. [...] (B) Integrated settings.--Goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations shall be afforded to an individual with a disability in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the individual. Note: The full text of the Americans with Disabilities Act is available by Gopher, including especially Section 3.03, which deals with construction. As a graduate student with disabilities, I know the Van Pelt Library well, and treasure the collection there. Many graduate students are constant users of Van Pelt. The lack of user-friendliness at Van Pelt affects us all. I am looking forward to the day when the renovations are completed. On that day I will be free to enter and leave the library with my friends, or bring an honored guest of the University with me as we wheel or walk to the main entrance of Van Pelt. I will be proud to show off the third building at Penn to have abolished discriminatory access. Sigrid Peterson, PhD Psychologist, hence Advocate Graduate Student, Religious Studies Co-founder, Penn Students with Disabilities