At 2 a.m. while sitting at the security desk, I witnessed a student on crutches trying to open the doors to a residence hall and I could not help her, as she was crushing herself up against the door to prop it open enough to squeeze inside. These doors are typically heavy for a normal person to open, and apparently none of the handicap mechanics on these doors work. Many students who have physical disabilities and handicaps and rely on those accommodations.
With the recent renovations on Hemenway Hall, they put in a new ramp. This resembles the one currently located behind North Hall and in the same fashion – out of the way, looping back and forth for no real reason other than for it to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Using these ramps not only take you a longer amount of time, but also cast you out socially. Who wants to be the only person using the ramp?
Does anyone else feel like it is discriminating? The lack of appropriate accommodations is probably turning away a lot of potential new students who would otherwise have a great experience here. Yes this is one hill of a campus, but students should not have to worry about if the doors are working. If we are so proud of the diversity here, we should be opening the doors of opportunity to all.
Katie Kerber
Class of 2016