{"id":190,"date":"2017-03-18T15:25:56","date_gmt":"2017-03-18T15:25:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/?p=190"},"modified":"2025-03-06T00:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T05:42:49","slug":"carleton-student-fights-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydoorsign.com/blog\/carleton-student-fights-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"One Carleton student\u2019s fight for campus accessibility earns national attention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you attend a college surrounded by hills, or in the case of yours truly, loads of mini-hills on one giant hill (hi, Brandeis)? Recall the dread you felt when you learned your new dorm was on the sixth floor? These situations make coming and going from your room or walking to class a full-on cardio workout. \u00a0Imagine how terrible it is when you have a disability, and the buildings have no elevators, or the elevators aren\u2019t working.<\/p>\n

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Student with a disability<\/p><\/div>\n

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Nathan Bragg, a Carleton University freshman, is championing the “CU student petitions Housing to improve accessibility” fight for accessibility in order to make day-to-day living on campus bearable for its entire community. Bragg, a journalism student, has cerebral palsy, and during March of 2013, his residential building\u2019s elevators remained broken and unusable for three weeks. In addition, he had issues with accessible shower accommodations and communication problems with housing services about his needs for next school year.<\/p>\n

Currently, he has to go to great lengths in order to access facilities such as the food court on other floors. Bragg describes his painstaking process in the following way: \u201cI let my friends know, my friends come with me to the steps, and I transfer out of my chair so I hop out of it, and I crawl down or I walk down while tightly holding the rail. If I walk down, usually my friends will spot me by walking down the opposite side in case I spasm or slip.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Accessible Braille Engraved Sign<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Bragg kicked off a petition that circulated to improve access on campus, which acquired more than 500 signatures by the end of March. He maintained that the petition is in the best interest of students who may have more severe disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I know, having experienced a disability my entire life, is that everyone experiences it differently,\u201d said Bragg. \u201cI don\u2019t feel like Housing really understands that. If you\u2019re at this university your disability should not affect your academic potential.\u201d As of publication time, Bragg has met with Carleton residential staff members, who are conducting an accessibility audit on campus.<\/p>\n

Luckily, Bragg\u2019s petition has been inspirational for other “How accessible are university residences” universities planning accessibility-centric residential areas, such as Queen\u2019s University in Canada, which recognizes that more accommodations are needed than elevators, such as accessible washrooms. The buildings will have two elevators, some barrier free bedrooms, common lounges that are wheelchair and motorized vehicle accessible, larger hallways, and gender-neutral washrooms.<\/p>\n

College is about independence and learning, which are both jeopardized if students cannot access proper spaces. As Zainah Santur, the coordinator of the Carleton Disability Awareness Center, said, \u201cIf you\u2019re not comfortable [in your own residence}, how do you think you\u2019ll perform academically?\u201d<\/p>\n

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