ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
Remembering the support she received from Texas A&M during her own challenges, Ruth Hall Lusher ’78 decided to endow a scholarship within the College of Architecture for undergraduates who have disabilities or an interest in creating more accessible environments for those with disabilities.
“I want recipients of this scholarship to know that people care about them and want them to succeed in life,” Lusher said. “I received so much support during my time at Texas A&M, and I want to give that opportunity to other students.”
Disabled as a child by polio and a single mother at the time she enrolled in school, Lusher found strength from people at Texas A&M. While she only took one course at first due to working full-time, her talent for design caught the attention of several faculty, who encouraged her to change her major, apply for a scholarship and enroll as a full-time student.
After graduate school, Lusher supervised the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines. “It was like architecture school,” she said. “We pulled all-nighters and did whatever necessary to publish the guidelines in one year.” Through her career with the Access Board and Department of Justice, and work with nonprofits and other agencies, Lusher helped shape the development of accessible design in the U.S.