U. of I. Opens User-Friendly Dorm for Students with Disabilities

New dorm first-of-its-kind in the country

The University of Illinois writes a new syllabus for standards in student housing.

Nugent Hall opened this week, marking a new milestone in the university's commitment to students with disabilities.

The dorm houses Beckwith-supported residents with physical disabilities on the first floor. The suite-style rooms include a remote control ceiling lift designed to transfer a student from bed to an in-room bathroom. It's the first dorm in the country to make the technology a standard feature, according to the Daily Illini.

Each room also includes programmable controls for lights, temperature and window blinds, as well as emergency power outlets in the case of a power outage.

About 150 students without disabilities will live on the other floors, with that number expected to expand to about 500 students when the residence hall is completed in two years.

Nugent Hall is the first new dorm on the Champaign campus in more than 40 years. It's construction comes at a time when the University is raising tuition by 9.5-percent for incoming freshman for the 2010-2011 school year.

Nugent Hall is named in honor of Tim Nugent. Nugent founded the Division of Resources and Educational Services in 1948.

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