How would you get from your dorm room to a class on the third floor of Wilson Hall? This might sound like an easy question — but now imagine trying it in a wheelchair.
Given that Wilson Hall is one of the most inaccessible buildings on campus, this task could be essentially impossible.
Brown community members may not give campus accessibility much thought on a daily basis, but the University has made efforts to improve accessibility over the years by offering services for those with access needs and taking accessibility into account during construction projects.
Senior Director for Student Engagement Ricky Gresh, who also served as the chair of the Planning Committee for the Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center renovation project, said the committee members tried to "make sure the community's needs were represented" and incorporated into the new campus center.
Gresh said the Undergraduate Council of Students provided the planning committee with a list of recommendations for the campus center renovation, one of which dealt with accessibility issues. There was "support from the campus community that the campus center should be accessible to the entire community," Gresh said.
When designing the building, the planners took legal requirements into account, as well as the University's priorities regarding accessibility, Gresh said. Ultimately, the plan for the building was presented to the Campus Access Advisory Committee, a sub-committee of the Diversity Advisory Board.
The Campus Access Advisory Committee, which works closely with the Department of Facilities Management and solicits input from across the University, deals with accessibility issues on campus. "The goal is to have all plans run by this committee," Disability Support Services Director Catherine Axe said.
But the new campus center is still characterized as "partially" accessible, Gresh said, adding that the historic nature of Faunce House, along with many other buildings on Brown's campus, makes it difficult to renovate the building to make it fully accessible, since building regulations were different at the time of original construction.
Despite the age of Faunce, the planning committee did make an effort to "remedy the structural barriers" in the building, Gresh said. He added that "two significant interventions" were made in the building during the renovation, both of which improved overall accessibility.
The first major addition was the arch entrance, which serves as the main entrance to the building. Gresh said that one of the UCS recommendations for the renovation project was that "all students should be able to use the same entrances to the building."
Gresh noted that while some of the entrances still require stairs, the main entrance is fully accessible to everyone. Before the renovation, the primary way to enter Faunce in a wheelchair was via the lower level.
The second structural change to the building was the construction of the mezzanine in Leung Gallery, which expands accessibility of the third floor. Gresh said this is especially beneficial because many student groups are located on the third floor of the campus center.
Jennifer Stone '11, a student in PHP 1680I: "Pathology to Power: Disability, Health and Community," is working with four other students to redesign and update the campus accessibility map.
Stone said she thinks campus accessibility is an important issue and should be a University priority. "I think it will contribute to the diversity Brown talks about," she said.
The campus accessibility map, which is updated regularly and is currently available on the Facilities Management website, depicts accessibility details of buildings, parking, pathways and other routes on Brown's campus. Stone said that she and her group members are trying to "make it a more comprehensive map."
According to Stone, the updated version of the map will include changes such as new pathways that have been put in because of construction, among other revisions to ensure as much accuracy as possible.
Axe added that a fold-out version of the accessibility map will soon be available. It will be distributed at the information desk in the campus center.
"I've been really impressed with how they handle things," said Vivian Healey GS, who has a systemic arthritis condition that is completely debilitating when it flares up. Though she has not had a problem since she came to Brown this year, Healey said she is grateful for the services DSS offers, in case there comes a time when she needs them.
"I'm very conscious of the problem," Healey said, adding that the Mathematics Department, where she spends most of her time, is notably inaccessible. She said the building has a lot of stairs, no elevator and no ramps. "Professors have been really supportive and understanding," she said.
