Contact
9 Old Chapel Road
Middlebury, VT 05753
Tele (802) 443-5000
Address: 69 Market Street
Unit # 2
Williston, VT 05495
Middlebury College, located in Middlebury, Vermont, was established in 1800. The campus includes many old structures, plus much new development and renovation. All the new buildings are handicap accessible through the use of elevators, accessible washrooms, and powered doors.
All buildings also are equipped with Braille signs and flashing fire alarms.
This historic college has put in much effort to modernize the campus for accessibility. The buildings toured ranged from the new library, a cafeteria, a student center, and an accessible dorm, along with the athletic facilities and theater.
Proctor Hall, a dining area , offers a lovely outdoor terrace with an accessible ramp to the front entrance. Push button power doors, plus accessible water fountains and washrooms are provided, plus the basement of this building houses the school store, which has an outdoor ramp exit with hand rails.
Along side Proctor Hall are six tennis courts, and an historic building, Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest, which has been converted to provide accessible entrance from both the side and back, each equipped with power push buttons. Mead Memorial Chapel is another accessible historic building renovated to supply easy entrance via a concrete outdoor ramp with hand rails, running along the chapel to the front door.
Three dorms, Hepburn Hall, Stewart Hall, and Ridge Line Suites are critiqued for accessibility. Both Stewart Hall and Hepburn Hall offer first floor handicap accessible dorm rooms. Ridge Line Suites is a new dorm, completed in 2016. Completely handicap accessible, Ridge Line offers two accessible entrances, plus an elevator. Stewart Hall, is not accessible from the front door, though offers an accessible ramp to the rear. The rear door is not accessible by power, but once inside, the building is accessible from the first floor. Outside there is one handicap parking spot.
Other important campus buildings have been renovated. McCullough Student Center building is accessible via the lower entrance through a push button rear power door. The student center is accessible on the first floor by the use of ramps, an elevator to the second floor, accessible washrooms and water fountains. The facilities include a grill and a cafe area, along with a convenience store, and a mail room.
Davis Family Library, is the newest library on campus. Access to the building is through a system of walk ways and front doors which are push button power doors. Inside the building there is a first floor cafe. The library provides elevators to the different floors, plus accessible washrooms and water fountains.
Both the Davis Library and the Armstrong Library offer assistant technology, such as adaptive communication equipment, text magnifiers, and screen reading software. In addition, the college offers a Student Accessibility Service department (SAS) along with an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA ) coordinator. SAS is responsible for arranging communication with disabled students and faculty, facilitating arrangements for note taking, readers, screen reading software, and extra time for exams. SAS is involved with areas of learning affected by vision, mobility, hearing, speech, and physical and psychological health. The department also interacts, with student housing, and issues involving accessibility. ADA coordinators are involved with daily life on campus, involving disability issues, interacting with housing, class room, and administrative issues involving ADA matters. The college offers two ADA coordinators who interview on a case by case basis.
Three other new and accessible areas critiqued are the theater, athletic center, and football stadium.
- The Mahaney Center for the Arts, is a new building offering accessibility, from the push button power entrance, to accessible washrooms. Elevator accessibility, along with wheel chair accessible aisles are provided. Both the front and rear of the building are entered via paved walk ways.
- The Peterson Family Field Athletic Complex, which is completely accessible, houses the hockey rink, an indoor track, swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and a fitness center. The building is a new complex, with push button power doors, accessible washrooms, elevators, drinking fountains, and conference rooms.
- The outdoor Alumni Football Stadium is accessible via concrete ramps from the circular entrance. There is also a platform for viewing, which is accessible from the top of the stadium. However, there are no outdoor washrooms available at the stadium.
