The uphill battle of campus handicap accessibility

It may seem that a door handle isn't a big deal. But David Podrasky '05 knows differently.

Just like the rest of his freshman classmates, Podrasky tackles the challenges of navigating around a campus setting. Only he does so from a wheelchair.

That is no mean feat. University buildings, some more than two centuries old, can seem frustratingly inaccessible to the handicapped. There are three levels of accessibility represented on campus, Podrasky said. Some buildings are completely accessible, like the Frist Campus Center.

Other buildings are accessible on the main floor only, such as Clio, because they do not have elevators. And finally, some remain inaccessible entirely.

Podrasky related how, when he was assigned to class in Dickinson Hall, which falls into the last category, the registrar had an obligation to move the class to Firestone Library in order to accommodate his needs.

Finding out whether a wheelchair can actually enter a building is only the first step. Many other factors can make accessible buildings inconvenient for handicapped students. For instance, Podrasky cannot open the grip-and-turn door handles that are prevalent even in buildings that have been renovated to be more handicapped-friendly.

Oftentimes, Podrasky said, "It's the little things that matter."

Sometimes the little things are not so little after all. Podrasky's freshman seminar leader, Professor Shaun Marmon, said she was shocked when she thought about the difficulties Podrasky would face if he were a religion major because the department was located in 1879 Hall, an inaccessible building.

Podrasky said that majoring in a department housed in an inaccessible building was still possible, but noted, "how feasible is that if I can't get into the building?"

Podrasky lives off campus. His RA group is in Butler — on the one floor of the one building that he can enter.

"We face significant difficulties in making the existing colleges more accessible," University Director of Physical Planning Jon Hlafter said. He cited Rockefeller and Mathey Colleges as particularly problematic.

West College was renovated during the 1995-96 academic year to make accessible offices for offices of admission, registrar and the dean of undergraduate students.

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However, further advances in accessibility on campus have proceeded slowly.

In a report drafted earlier this year, Hlafter explained that effected offices and departments require temporary space, which is not always available.

Still he indicated, "the thorough upgrading of a building to make it fully code-conforming requires complicated logistical planning."

"But the University is committed to a deliberate process which will address all buildings," Hlafter added.

According to the report, "special attention should be given to improvements for major public assembly places where large numbers of people would gather (especially visitors and guests invited to attend specific events) and to unique facilities off-campus sites."

Recently work has been done on walkways and curb cuts, including implementing five barrier-free pedestrian crossings along Washington Road.

According to the report, the large amount of construction on campus bodes well for significant improvement in handicapped accessibility.

The report reads, "A natural and normal process of renewal will make the campus accessible over time." The opening of Frist last year and the Friend Center for Engineering Education this year increased the number of accessible classrooms. Additionally, the sixth residential college will be fully accessible.

Podrasky said he approves of the University's efforts toward accommodating handicapped individuals. "The University is doing extensive renovation to modernize a lot of their buildings. You have to give them credit," he said.

Podrasky also expressed his appreciation of people's thoughtfulness and helpfulness, calling it "the Princeton mentality."

Although he said fixing the buildings should be the ultimate goal, he added, "If I need help, I can ask anyone, and they're willing to stop whatever they're doing and help me."