By Maggie Stanton and Susan Tolleson, JCCC
When Robert Songer started his honors contract project (a one-credit course that allows more in-depth study), his goal was to review how well the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was being implemented more than 30 years after becoming law. What Songer, who is visually impaired, found instead was that he couldn’t access many of the research materials in archives across the country.
Research takes a turn
Songer reached out to several archival institutions, including the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, five presidential libraries, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C.
He received a wide range of responses about their accessibility procedures. “Essentially, there’s no national policy on archive accessibility for people who are blind,” said Songer.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which helps people with visual impairments read text, is not provided by any archive but must be brought in by the user. Unfortunately, portable OCR versions are not always accurate.
Songer also discovered that even with available adaptive technology, without an assistant, the process would take much longer to complete.
A wake-up call for archives
Songer’s request has some of the archives taking note. After receiving his inquiry, the Dole Institute contacted him immediately to learn more about his findings. Because of his report, they are now discounting digital scanning for people with visual disabilities.
NARA requested his report, which they say confirms a governmental report addressing the same concerns. They’ve been corresponding with him and looking into what changes they can put into place.
Honors – a stepping stone to impact
An honors contract is a one-credit course that allows more in-depth study. In Songer’s case, his public policy course inspired him to take on the additional challenge of an honors contract and assess the progress of the ADA.
“This all started in JCCC’s Academic Achievement Center,” Songer says. Throughout his project, he worked with three JCCC tutors, a library specialist, his faculty mentor, and the Honors Program staff.
Anne Dotter, Assistant Professor and Honors Director, says of the program, “We want to support academically motivated students like Robert to further personalize their learning and help them achieve whatever goals they have beyond JCCC.”
According to his mentor, Political Science associate professor Andrea Vieux, “When a student does a hands-on contract project – like Robert has – it becomes personal. That’s when students really learn about the impact they can have on public policy gets a national spotlight.”
Songer’s work has given him a glimpse of the impact he can have. After years in the workforce, he graduated from JCCC with honors and his Associate of General Studies, seamlessly transferring to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). His ultimate goal is to become a college professor and mentor to students.
“I want to be an example of someone who is visually impaired and has the support of others, no matter what hindrances or gifts they are given,” said Songer.
Since transferring to UMKC, Songer has continued his advocacy work for the visually impaired. In addition to being a voice in the UMKC Disability Alliance, interning with the Mellon Institute, the National Farm Worker Ministry, and the UMKC Student Accessibility Department, he also presented his research on the national stage.
Songer was chosen to present in Washington, D.C., at the National Student Research Conference hosted by Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. His honors project research was part of a panel discussion on disabled communities.
His work impressed conference attendees and opened the door to future collaborations.
“I met with multiple graduate-level research opportunities, and a couple asked me to reach out to them to be included in their work as a coparticipant,” said Songer. “All because of the JCCC honors project.”
Learn more
Since 1987, JCCC’s Honors Program has provided academically motivated students with an inclusive and supportive environment to foster their curiosity. Honors faculty and staff encourage students to challenge themselves, take risks, solve problems, and hone their leadership skills to serve as active citizens and leaders within their communities.
Do you know a student attending Johnson County Community College (JCCC) or considering JCCC? Encourage them to dive deeper into the academic experience by joining the JCCC Honors Program. The JCCC Honors Program admits students with a 3.5 high school unweighted GPA (or a current 3.5 JCCC cumulative GPA). If you are interested in learning more, connect with the JCCC Honors Program at honors@jccc.edu or visit JCCC’s website.
