Fresno State could be making changes to the Free Speech Area as soon as this fall, which would include modifications to club booths to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act — or getting rid of them completely and installing shaded areas.

The possible changes are in response to concerns about accessibility and a lack of booth spots for the school’s clubs and organizations. They were highlighted recently at a focus group meeting between student groups and organizations with faculty, staff and an architect.

The current guidelines for club booths on campus were set in in the 1950s and allocated 22 booth spots. While seven spots have been added since then, they do not meet demands. A lottery is held each semester to decide which groups get a spot in the Free Speech Area, but more than 20 clubs are routinely left without a booth spot.

“Concerns were brought to the office about ADA complaints and organizations wanting equal opportunity,”said Josh Edrington, student involvement club and organization coordinator.

Fresno State is either looking at expanding the number of booths and making them ADA compliant, or building about 20 permanent shade structures in their place.

“Our problem is how do we create a space that students would want and meet what they said [in the focus group],” Edrington said.

The plans are still in their early stages and final decisions on the fate of the campus booths have not been made. More focus group meetings are scheduled this semester. The next one will be held Friday at 11:45 a.m.

“Maybe we can change the layout. We have a big campus. It doesn’t necessarily have to be here,” said Nikki Wheeler of the Rugby Club. “We can’t do things like the booth decorating contest if we don’t have a booth.”

Kylee Ott of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority proposed her own idea:

“If organizations can’t staff a booth, why doesn’t Fresno State just build some booths that they can rent?”

Phi Delta Theta Recruitment Chair Will Right said organizations will lose individuality if the new structures are installed.

“I don’t particularly like it,” he said. “We are thinking of starting a petition to keep our booths,” Right said.

“A majority of the students seemed in favor of the new structure [at the last meeting],” Edrington said. ­“We are here to ultimately serve the students.”