Hidden Ableism at UMF
Ryan Martin-Hachey
Contributing Writer
Ableism is a problem in much of our country, things are just not made for the differently abled. This problem is highlighted on many college campuses today. UMF is a very old campus and many of the buildings here were made before the 70s. This shows brightly in the lack of accessibility for those unable to do things like open fairly heavy doors in almost every building or comfortably walk up stairs like in Merrill Hall, whose elevator is old and rickety. Showing even easy accommodations like an elevator is not up to the standards the university should be striving for. “The University meets the legal requirements but improvements can most definitely be made to better accommodate for all,” Leader in Rehabilitation Education, both here at UMF and nationwide, Karen Barrett said. Accommodating all students, current, and potential, should be at the top of the University’s mind and that goes far deeper than what they have provided thus far.
Merrill Hall is an integral building hosting many courses as well as a large number of offices, such as the registrar’s office. But, this building lacks even the most basic accommodations a building of this magnitude should offer. To use the front entrance to the Hall, you must first walk up a relatively steep hill and then walk up a staircase to open a heavy door that will then lead to even more stairs—which is problematic for any student who may have any trouble with mobility.
UMF is seen as an inclusive school for all but in one very key way, it is not. People of all shapes and colors, beliefs and childhoods, goals and accomplishments come to this school as a beacon of hope. That this will be the place that lets them shine, lets them grow as human beings and truly become who they want to be. But, because of these limitations, many prospective students may feel they are unable to go to this school because of how difficult a trek across campus can be. There are always numerous ways to create safer and more clear spaces and environments all across campus. A major feature that is severely lacking is just the signage, as there are not nearly enough maps on campus and the signs that UMF does have can be confusing and at times just plain wrong.
As one walks through the halls of Merrill or walks up the steep hill to get out of the freshman lot behind Scott, they may begin to wonder, how could someone with a physical impairment actually be successful within this school? Even after years and years of developing this school into a haven for all people alike, there seems to be something forgotten. Something that affects a rather significant portion of the population: students and people who can not walk, see or hear well.
Walking into the entrance for Scott Hall North, you first have to cross a crack in the sidewalk far too deep or wide to safely cross when in a wheelchair, or even on crutches. Now, some buildings are better than others, of course, but so far only the bare minimum has been done to accommodate. For students requiring accessibility accommodations, options can be extremely limited in what dorms they are able to live in—the Scott-complex and Franklin Allen Black Hall exclusively. Alongside limited resident hall choices, differently abled students also face restrictions in what parking lots they are able to park in and what classes they can take, and even who they can be friends with. “If you were in a wheelchair or on crutches, how would you be able to go see your friends if they live in Mallet, Stone, or Purington?” Barrett said. Even the student center has rather significant issues. Two of the three entrances and exits are blocked by stairs, one of which is the closest one to the accessible parking lot, so the only option is to go completely around—a significant detour for anyone.
Turning the focus away from specific buildings, Barrett implores you to go for a walk around campus and look at the sidewalk, “look at it from different angles…Walkies and temporarily-ableds (TABs) tend not to look at spaces with fresh eyes,” Barrett said. Go out and look at all of the areas you frequent every day and ask yourself how someone else might experience this environment. Everyone is a person, and by only following what the law says and not being as proactive as the University really should be (albeit, this is better than some other campuses), we are showing students who have any sort of trouble with mobility that they are less than those who are in tip-top shape. Do not go around thinking you will never face these problems either, Karen Barrett uses the term “temporarily abled” because our bodies are constantly changing and most will be faced with these challenges at least once in their life, even if that is just breaking your leg and being stuck on crutches for 6 months.
The lack of access to these integral buildings, as well as far walks to any and all parking lots, may lead to significant problems for many prospective students. “We are always looking for ways to improve the ADA compliance on campus and each time we plan new projects we make sure accessibility is a top priority,” said Director of Facilities Management and ADA compliance Keenan Farewell. Looking specifically at the High Street project, the main reason they removed the trees in front of Purrington was to remove and fix the sidewalks to now be ADA-compliant: “With the High St. project taking place the town will be installing 2 raised ADA crosswalks with lights to help pedestrians, as well bringing all the crosswalk tip downs into ADA compliance.” The removal of those trees in and of itself was a controversial move, but well-needed for the continued accessibility of this campus. As always, the University is following the letter of the law—but nothing more.
Looking through the UMF website, you will find the Disability Services section hidden from view in a far tab. But, in this tab, there is abundant information on how a student with a disability can file for much-needed accommodations. Of course, you need to prove the need for these accommodations, but they are available to the students who need them. Those students should go to the main UMF website, and, under Disability Services, they will find all the information they need. There will be a very brief summary here, however, one should really go check the website themselves to get the full breadth of the information relevant to themselves.
Starting with how one may find this section of UMF’s website, if you look up the Learning Assistance Center, the first thing that should pop up will be the website you need. Following that link will lead you straight into the details on how to make an accommodation request, which is a fairly simple process, where the only real challenge may be to prove you have a non-visibly apparent disability. The next section you will find is the section on how to determine if your disability is qualified under the University’s definition for accommodations, including being substantially limited in one or more major life tasks that you need to undertake in order to be successful at this university. Ensuring that you have the proper documentation for this impairment is also crucial.
