What Does It Mean to be Accessible?
“Accessible means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use,” (Disability Resource Office at NC State).
Accessibility is vital to nurturing a healthy, safe, and inclusive culture on college campuses. Every person benefits from an inclusive culture (Burgstahler, 2018). However, making an accessible, inclusive culture in university housing goes far beyond having ramps, elevators, and other design choices you might expect. While ramps and elevators are obviously important, it is not uncommon for other needs of students with disabilities to be overlooked (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008). Unfortunately, these factors of inaccessibility on campuses are often found within shared student spaces in dorm halls, like common rooms, kitchens, and public bathrooms. Assessing the accessibility of residential buildings on college campuses can be generally categorized into building access, common rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
Building Access and Common Rooms
Doors, either automatically or electronically operated, into and within the building need to be wide enough for students in wheelchairs to comfortably enter. In common areas, like lounges and kitchens, having plenty of seating while still providing adequate space for wheelchairs goes a long way toward social inclusion within residential buildings. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list.
Lack of access to and within residential buildings acts not only as a physical barrier, but a cultural one as well (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008). Even if there are other handi-accessible residential buildings, the mere presence of buildings like this sends the message to students with physical disabilities that there are fundamental differences between themselves and able-bodied students that can cause ‘othering’ and isolation. Physical and social exclusion creates spaces in which students with limited mobility legitimately cannot interact with other students.
Bathrooms and Bedrooms
For many daily use objects, like light switches, sinks, and even toilets, height can limit the use for some students. Issues of inaccessibility in residential spaces disturb the transition to campus housing for students with disabilities (Wisbey and Kalivoda, 2008).
Transitioning into college is difficult for most students, regardless of their ability status. While this change is disruptive for many students, students with disabilities may not have the same accommodations that they might have had access to while in high school and living at home. Students with mobility impairments experiencing these extra challenges may take more time to acclimate than those without such disabilities. Adjusting to new people, a new culture, and a new environment takes time, and this makes it difficult for many people to ask for help.
Resources
For accessibility, usability and comfort ought to be priorities in housing, especially at universities with mandatory four-year on-campus housing. “If about 10 percent of college students have some kind of disability, they represent a significant group who deserves particular consideration.” (Haller, 2006).
- Accessibility Barrier Report Form – “We want to ensure that Furman University is accessible to all members of our campus community. If you have noticed a potential barrier, let us know how we can help by completing the Accessibility Barrier Report Form,” (Furman University Student Office for Accessibility Resources).
- Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life – “A checklist for making housing and residential life welcoming and accessible to everyone…This publication is a resource for campus housing and residential life staff and identifies key areas of concern, offers general guidance, and provides resources regarding disability access issues,” (Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, University of Washington).
Citations
Burgstahler, Sheryl. 2018. “Equal Access: Universal Design of Housing and Residential Life”. DOIT. https://www.washington.edu/doit/sites/default/files/atoms/files/EA_Housing_0.pdf
Heller, Beth A. 2006. “Promoting Disability-Friendly Campuses to Prospective Students:
An Analysis of University Recruitment Materials”. Disability Studies Quarterly 26, 2 (Spring). https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/673/850
Martha E. Wisbey and Karen S. Kalivoda. 2008. “Residential Living For All: Fully Accessible and “Liveable” On-Campus Housing”. Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education. 22:255-266. https://staff.tiiame.uz/storage/users/83/books/SNOv99cdqniYAFjBzBcRUFxaeq9WiUh5VsCkrGKP.pdf#page=265