ADA Story July 31: Robert Parrish
My ADA Story: It's Five-O-Four Somewhere
By Robert Parrish
Robert Parrish speaks at the Arts Access International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebration on December 3, 2018.
It’s five o’clock somewhere. This is a popular excuse and saying for having a drink based on the hit popular song by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett. When it comes to the ADA and civil rights, I had a “504” experience during my undergraduate studies at Appalachian State.
Some of the best years of my life were spent at Appalachian. It was there that I met many friends, enjoyed football and survived the cold wind. As a person who is legally blind, I had to make special arrangements for studying in order to pass my courses. This included making arrangements for people to read my textbooks.
Now, I thought nothing about having readers, who happened to be mostly women, come to my dorm room and read. However, one of my roommates informed me that people had the impression that something other than reading was happening. He suggested that I change locations. It was due to this exchange that I learned more about the 504 room at the Appalachian State. I was told that as long as the room was available that I could use the room any time I wished. True to ADA support, the room had a Kurzweil Reader and a CCTV. To be honest, this room was a more centralized location for my readers to come.
Because Appalachian State saw fit to provide this room for those of us with disabilities speaks volumes about this university. The education that I gained and the contributions that I have and will continue to make in the lives of others are partly due to the “504” room and the ADA law.
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the ADA