"We try to provide full disclosure about our accessibility. In every way that's under our control, we try to be a place that's welcoming to persons with a wide range of disabilities," said Dean of Admissions Tom Parker. "But, your educational experience will have particular challenges. We want you to make an intelligent decision with the understanding that this is a hilly campus and this is New England."
Parker acknowledged that one of the most significant areas of physical inaccessibility directly affects the next several incoming classes, as the lack of elevators in four of the College's six freshman dorms relegates both the permanently and temporarily disabled to Appleton and Valentine Halls. Disabled students cannot get beyond the entryways of North and South Colleges and James and Stearns Halls.
"My greatest concern is the relative lack of dormitory accessibility," said Associate Dean of Students Frances Tuleja. "Perhaps the greatest deficiencies are in first-year dormitories, which is why I'm glad that that will be largely rectified by the upcoming renovations."
Katherine Duke '05, who has had cerebral palsy [spastic diplegia] since birth, causing her muscles to be constantly constricted and necessitating the use of an electric scooter, is one of 25 students who have identified themselves as having a disability. Living in Valentine, she has centralized access to dining and many of her class buildings, yet it is an imperfect access that denies her passage to the third floor, forcing her to do her laundry in another dorm because Valentine's recently installed elevator halts on the second floor.
"In terms of making me feel welcome, everyone seems willing to help me out, to lend a hand. People are generally polite and no one's made any comments that have made me feel uncomfortable," said Duke. "And I'm glad of that because this campus is not 100 percent accessible, so it's really necessary to have people help."
Duke's case exemplifies the well-intentioned, but oftentimes flawed nature, of College access for the physically impaired. The College assures Duke access to all of her classes, changes their locations if necessary and provides a student to buy her books as well as a Physical Plant employee who is making more campus doors automatic.
Nevertheless, when Duke attends class at the Cole Assembly Room, a recently refurbished room and the typical locus of featured College lectures, she must sit in the back row, as a closer seat would require the negotiation of staircases. Similarly, ramps that lead up to buildings such as Barrett Hall deliver her to doors that open at angles that make entrance difficult.
"In Valentine, there's a downstairs women's restroom that's supposed to be handicap accessible and inside it is spacious. The thing is, the door opens outward so it's very difficult to get into," said Duke. "I can't take my scooter into the bathroom; I have to park it, get out and crawl into the 'accessible' bathroom, which is funny in a way, but also aggravating."
Such inconveniences render recent efforts to enhance accessibility incomplete and Duke and others urged that consideration be taken when the next wave of renovations gives the College the opportunity to bring the campus closer to full accessibility.
"Handicap access is definitely a part of the residential master plan; it's one of the many reasons that we're renovating our dormitories," said Dean of Students Ben Lieber. "There's a long term plan to make as many dormitories accessible as possible."
"I apologize to all those who have suffered from this," said President Tom Gerety.
Gerety added that the upcoming dorm renovations would improve the current situation.
Director of Facilities Planning and Management Jim Brassord was optimistic that recent improvements in buildings across the campus, including the Merrill Science Center, all of the athletic facilities, Frost Library, Johnson Chapel and others, more than satisfy federal regulations. Though he noted some topographical features of the campus, such as the five percent grade of Barrett Hill, as complicating efforts to enhance exterior accessibility, Brassord cited the addition of more ramps, handicap accessible bathrooms and modifications to exterior pathways as advancements in accessibility.
"Under ADA regulations, institutions and public accommodations must proactively remove barriers where 'readily achievable,'" said Brassord. "The College has made tremendous strides over the past 10 years to enhance accessibility to all facilities."
In addition, measures have been taken to counteract the natural conditions of the College and make the campus more manageable for mobility impaired students during the winter months. Physical Plant executes priority snow clearances, wherein the ground crew's first priority is to clear a path for each disabled student who requires such assistance. Similarly, Campus Police does not enforce the winter parking ban for students with handicap stickers.
"If students have special needs, we provide special parking arrangements," said Assistant Chief of Campus Police Ed Zaniewski. "That would include an exemption from the winter parking ban, with the understanding that we could call at odd hours to ask the person to move his or her car."
While the ADA does not cover persons with temporary disabilities such as sports injuries to the same extent as people with permanent ones, the school does make accommodations for those students. These may include room and class relocation, as well as transportation assistance from Campus Police. However, most students aren't aware of these options in the event of an injury.
"I definitely would've taken a room on the first floor, or somewhere with an elevator, instead of third-floor of Pratt. I wasn't aware of the options available to me," said Kathryn Sarles '04, who broke her ankle last spring and spent the first two months of fall semester on crutches after surgery.
The College accommodates its disabled students in compliance with the law, oftentimes more than is required; however, as Duke shows and the administrative acknowledges, there is room for improvement.
"If you want a genuinely diverse student body, the broader your definition of diversity the better off you are. I don't think you really understand what it means to be in a wheelchair or to be blind by reading about it," said Parker. "I'm totally convinced that the only way you can really know how other people understand the world is to have them live down the hall."