Rain showers put a damper on students yesterday as they made their way to campus with umbrellas in hand.

The daylong downpour continued the rain and snow season at Penn State, thus making the typical trip to class more arduous for students with certain disabilities.

"I need to leave early for class, and I tend to get really wet from the [wheelchair] wheels," said Maggie Redden (junior-communications and media studies). "My clothes get all wet, so I have to just sit in class ... soaked and cold."

Redden, who contracted polio when she was 1, uses a wheelchair to get from her Hiester Hall room to her destination. She said that while most students don't even think twice about their ability to stay dry -- via umbrella -- she must improvise.

"I can't hold an umbrella, so I wear a jacket with a hood," Redden said. "And when I see my friends, I push under their umbrellas."

Even with many offers of help from other students on campus, Redden said she still feels the results of State College's gloomy and wet skies. "People help when they see I need help," she said. "But I still have to go through like 10 sweatshirts when it's rainy and cold to stay dry."

Meghan Sooy (graduate-counselor education) said that once October hits, she must strategically prepare for her journey to class. Sooy said was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. At 11, she needed a wheelchair for mobility. "No matter what -- rain or shine -- I have to check the weather for the day," Sooy said. "And I have to leave my house sometimes an hour, hour and a half early, because I never know what kind of obstacles I'm going to encounter."

Sooy, a 24-year-old New Jersey native, added that although getting to class has become easier since she first came to campus three years ago, many difficulties, such as navigating through inches of snow, are still here. "When I first got here, I had to scout out ways to get into buildings," she said. "It continues to be a challenge, because I'm always looking for ways to cut down the time."

William Welsh, the university's office for disabilities director, was unavailable to comment, but Annette Struble, staff assistant for the office, said she could speak on Welsh's behalf.

Struble said students with disabilities get special attention, such as priority snow removal, when Penn State experiences inclement weather.

Also, Penn State's Transportation Services describes its specific role in aiding handicapped students on its Web site, www.transportation.psu.edu.

"Whether you are heading to class, a meeting or a sporting event, we want to give you better access to your destination," the Web site states, including information on personalized services for students with certain disabilities.

Although some schools may have easier accessibility for handicapped students, Sooy said she was willing to make the sacrifice of attending other schools with easier accessibility to come here. "I guess I just do what I have to do," she said. "I'll make the sacrifice for a Penn State education. But I'm still a bit jealous of people who can leave five minutes before class."