I’m sharing an essay that was inspired by an email message from the Ability Resource Center (ARC), at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, dated November 18th. It is consistent with a series of essays I have written this year on the intersection of organizational infrastructure and inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD).

Comments and sharing are always welcome.

In this post:

 

Story: Access and infrastructure example

I received an email on November 18th with the subject line, “Limited access to Aira.” The message illustrates the potential impact of organizational infrastructure on accessibility for persons with disabilities. AIRA is a service that supports persons affected by vision loss by linking them with sighted individuals through a smart phone camera. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, this service is funded through the Ability Resource Center (ARC), which facilitates student accessibility.

I have come to rely on the AIRA service after changes in public transit routes require me to travel through the UWM Union building. The Union is an acoustically unstable space that was recently renovated. The renovations significantly reduced the accessibility of space for persons affected by vision loss. The assistance of an AIRA navigator allows me to zigzag through the maze of walkways that feature open seating and traffic flows from all directions. I use the AIRA service out of concern for my own safety and out of respect for my fellow students who would receive no benefit from a blind person crashing into them while studying silently. Note: AIRA Navigators regularly find the Union confusing, resulting in a need to backtrack and re-orient.

The Director of UWM’s Accessibility Resource Center shared the following in her message:

“While ARC remains committed to fostering accessibility across campus, its primary role is to ensure that disabled students, who are registered with ARC, have equal access to their academic courses, programs, and experiences at UWM. Due to significant budget reductions, ARC will return its focus to this core mission.”

The Director’s actions align the department’s responsibility, authority, and capacity. This is what well qualified administrators do. While this change does not affect me personally, it illuminates a disjointed organizational infrastructure within the university.

Organizational infrastructure includes such elements as: policies, procedures, budget authority, decision making authority, and communication channels. Focusing on the Director’s decision to reduce the scope of the AIRA service and the access barriers introduced as part of the Union renovation project provides an illustration of disjointed organizational infrastructure.

• The university has a commitment and a legal obligation to be open to the public, including persons with disabilities (PWD).
• The Ability Resource Center (ARC) has a responsibility to support student accessibility.
• A description of the UWM Union renovation project included, “The renovation lays out improved building circulation that will be much more streamlined and easier to navigate so students can access resources, activities, and services in the Union without confusion and anxiety. “
• The AIRA service is funded through ARC but ARC is not responsible for general campus accessibility.
• The UWM Union renovation project resulted in reduced accessibility to the facility. An unintended consequence of the renovation design is greater demand for AIRA services.

The Union Renovation project resulted in greater demand for services administered through another department (ARC). The Ability Resource Center’s influence over the Union Renovation project apparently did not extend to way finding for persons affected by vision loss. Design decisions made at the outset of the Union Renovation project may have reduced initial costs but resulted in on-going costs/limited functionality. Policy regarding higher initial investment vs. lower on-going costs is likely outside the scope of either the Union project team or the Ability Resource Center.

One of the challenges of the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWD) is a lack of awareness of the impact of organizational infrastructure. This institutional blind spot often presents itself as defensiveness. The renovation project most likely observed the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Unfortunately, ensuring adherence to minimum standards and intentional accessibility can diverge radically from each other. A major element of PWD inclusion is intentionality.

Intentionality is sometimes seen as a nebulous term that does not withstand scrutiny. A challenge to intentionality is a failure to reconcile stated mission, vision, and values to organizational infrastructure. This is not easy work, but it is work that is at the heart of organizational effectiveness and credibility.

Note: I recently attended an open house at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater complex. The event was a celebration of completion of an extensive renovation project. I had been invited to participate as part of an accessibility focus group three years earlier. The group met regularly with the design team to ensure the renovation would reflect the organization’s commitment to being open to (all of) the public.

References

• Aylesworth, Shannon.(11/18/2025) Limited access to Aira . Accessibility Resource Center, Division of Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Email message
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (2023) Renovation – UWM Student Union. Retrieved December 4, 2025. https://uwm.edu/union/renovation/#content

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