First Name:
Tyler
Last Name:
Sloan
Major Department:
Communication Studies
Thesis Director:
Kevin Balling
Date of Thesis:
May 2009
Equity, Compliance, and Appalachian State offers a medium for a more robust dialogue between students and the university as to the myriad of problems that stem from the words “compliant” and “accommodating.” This documentary relays the accounts and concerns of five students living with disabilities and acts as a mediator between these students and the university officials in position to effect change. Its delivery begs the viewer to make his or her own assessment of the condition of equity and compliance within Appalachian State while serving as a catalyst for further conversation.
For its producer, Equity, Compliance, and Appalachian State was a four-month struggle and a determined investment or energy, passion, and time. The final product is an attempt to portray the difficulties over interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act as a it pertains to Appalachian State University. It asks the question, what is essential, what is reasonable, and how do we measure those accommodations?