Penn State senior Danny Freund has been working to improve services for disabled individuals at the university ever since his right leg was amputated above the knee because of a rare form of cancer and he saw firsthand the limitations of being disabled.

Freund has been an active champion of change and joined the University Access Committee more than a year ago to voice concerns about some of the problems on campus.

However, his activism has been met with limited response from officials. While such services as UAC and the Office of Disability Services exist, they do not provide complete support for students with disabilities.

UAC, which evaluates buildings and recommends upgrading older facilities to be accessible to those with disabilities, only meets every other month. Many older buildings on campus still have not been updated, which limits access.

If people like Freund and other disabled individuals are complaining, the committee obviously has not performed a thorough review of all buildings without handicap access on campus.

Disability Services has an extensive process for disabled students to receive additional help maneuvering on campus.

In order to receive any of the office's support services, a student must provide Disability Services with current documentation of his or her disability, according to the office's Web site, www.lions.psu. edu/ods/. This includes signing a release form to grant Disability Services permission to speak with a health care provider if there are questions related to the documentation.

The health care provider must also complete several forms verifying the disability.

The Web site did not include specific information about what services the office offers disabled students. It also neglected to address concerns for students who might be temporarily disabled, such as if someone broke his or her leg and couldn't walk to class. On a campus this large, even students with temporary disabilities should be given special consideration and help.

While the university has attempted to address some of the concerns of disabled individuals, there are still many that have not received proper attention.

Students on campus can also help improve conditions for disabled individuals by practicing common courtesy -- hold a door open for someone on crutches or get up from a seat on the Loop to allow a disabled person to sit down.