Accessible Pathways at Kutztown University

Kutztown University is committed to equal access and to providing an environment in which individuals with disabilities can fully access programs, services, activities, and facilities. University shuttles are equipped to transport students with permanent or temporary disabilities between University facilities and the local area. Each bus is equipped with a motorized lift to allow wheelchair or motorized scooter access to the service.

Muhlenberg Greene Architects was commissioned to provide a way to make the campus more handicap accessible by reviewing all sidewalks, ramps, and curb ramps located on campus. Due to the large number of problematic areas proposed on campus, the workload went through several phases.

The first phase consisted of curb ramp modifications, existing handrail replacement, patches of roadway and parking lots being repaved, as well as several sections of sidewalks to be repaved to correct simple slope issues or ramps designated in certain locations to allow for accessibility. The second phase was to design new pathways using fewer ramps, but rather to use existing sidewalks or to design new ones to give the most direct route possible.