She makes it to the front stoop of the eating club and comes to a stop. She didn't forget her pass; she has her University ID card.
Eloise Salmon '07 can't enter the club because of the three steps blocking her way. Salmon, who uses a wheelchair to get around campus, would require a ramp to reach the main floor.
Earlier this semester, the Association for Disability Awareness and Advocacy released a report on eating club accessibility. The report, written by David Mann-Podrasky '05 and Will Moore '04, evaluated eight of the 11 clubs. Three clubs chose not to participate.
While four clubs are inaccessible, six others provide access to at least the main floor. Terrace Club didn't respond to the ADAA or to interview requests. Many clubs are looking toward major renovations in the near future, and those that are not considering improvements face cost and architectural problems.
Mann-Podrasky created the report primarily to inform club members, rather than to put legal pressure on the clubs.
"I think [the members] don't see [the inaccessibility of the clubs], and there's nothing wrong with that," he said. "But, once it is pointed out, people should feel a responsibility for trying to change things to the extent that they can."
The federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability does not apply to the eating clubs because they are private institutions.
The Inter-Club Council has not recommended that eating clubs improve accessibility. ICC Chair Corey Sanders '04 said it isn't in the ICC's jurisdiction to suggest that clubs make expensive changes.
Maria Flores-Mills, assistant dean of undergraduate students and the coordinator of services for disabled students, said she has raised the accessibility issue to the Graduate Inter-Club Council, but the clubs are independently owned and operated.
The ADAA report said clubs should be accessible to the disabled, regardless of whether they have disabled members.
"How can an eating club, which claims to provide a discrimination-free environment, allow a few steps to keep a disabled person from entering its building?" the report asked.
Theri' Pickens '05 suffers from myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease, which leaves her debilitated some days and able to walk others. Pickens, a Campus Club member, said the Street is not friendly to the disabled.
She recalled approaching several club presidents about improving accessibility, but they said they would make their clubs more accessible when they had a disabled member.
"If you can't get in the club to bicker, you can't get in. It's cyclical," Pickens said. "It's not funny in a ha-ha way, but it's kind of funny ironically."
For many club presidents, full accessibility is a longterm goal, to be achieved by future renovations.
Ivy
Peter Sculco '04, Ivy Club president, said his club has planned a $5 million renovation beginning next summer. Though the club is currently inaccessible, he said this renovation will change that completely.
Colonial
Mike McFadden '04, president of Colonial Club, also said his club is looking towards a large-scale renovation in five to 10 years. After Mann-Podrasky joined the club in February, Colonial built two temporary ramps. However, the basement and upper levels remain inaccessible.
"I'd love for [Mann-Podrasky] to be able to use all the facilities," McFadden said. "Obviously, it's not an ideal situation. We're doing our best."
McFadden emphasized the importance of making Colonial in particular accessible.
"Colonial's image is . . . we are one of the most open clubs on the Street," he said. "What we uphold here is this is a place where everyone can have a lot of fun, have a good time."
The ADAA report concluded "Colonial has made every improvement necessary to improve its accessibility in the short term."
Cloister
Mann-Podrasky said the ADAA is aware many clubs have additional impediments that make accessibility difficult. Cloister Club "has perhaps the most difficult architectural challenge on Prospect Avenue," according to the report. Many rooms there require climbing several steps to enter.
"Using the driveway, the dining room is accessible from the back lawn, enabling accessibility for meal exchanges and guest meals," club president Brian McKenna '04 said in an email. "The prospect of making the entire club accessible is not very feasible considering the layout of the building."
The club has no future plans to make the building accessible.
Cottage
Cottage Club is the first to have installed an elevator, but it lacks a permanent ramp to make the front entrance wheelchair accessible, according to the report.
Cottage Club president John Richmond '04 said the elevator was installed in the club during the summer after an alumnus donated money specifically for this purpose. Richmond said the club has a temporary ramp that can be installed quickly and is considering a permanent ramp. However, the club is restricted by the cost and is unsure of the best place to put a ramp.
Quadrangle
Because two of its levels can be reached by wheelchair, Quadrangle Club is currently the most accessible club on the Street, according to the ADAA report.
Though the main and lower levels are accessible, the club cannot afford an elevator.
"An elevator would probably be the best addition to the club," Sanders, club president, said. "But right now the cost is very prohibitive."
Cap & Gown
Cap & Gown Club is also "one of the more accessible eating clubs," according to the ADAA report. The report said the club has installed a permanent ramp, making the main level accessible, though all other levels are not. An elevator will be included in a major renovation, which will not be in the immediate future. House manager Josh McCaughey '04 could not be reached for comment.
Tower
Tower Club is also examining improvements, president Cullen Newton '04 said. Tower has a temporary ramp for its front entrance, making the main floor accesible, according to the ADAA report. However, the ADAA recommended the club keep the ramp out permanently.
"Although the ramp could be left out, we are looking into better, more permanent options," Newton said in an email.
Tiger Inn
Tiger Inn is also considering improvements, said club president George Craddock '04.
"There is an addition in the planning phase which will, of course, include improvements to the club's accessibility," Craddock said in an email. "Being accessible is important and, as the facilities expand and improve, this should become more obvious."
Campus
Even though Pickens — a member of Campus — is disabled, she said the club's inaccessibility did not dissuade her from joining. Usually, Pickens can walk into Campus.
"The club in itself is not handicapped accessible at all," Pickens said. "[Its inaccessibility] is a problem, but it's not something that hinders me from being able to participate in club activities."
Campus president Jonathan Chou '04 did not respond to requests for an interview.
Charter
Charter Club president Thomas Reichel '04 did not respond to ADAA requests for a meeting in the spring but has since spoken to Mann-Podrasky. Reichel said that while the front entrance of Charter is a challenge, the club has plans in the works.
"The goal is within a few years to become more accessible," Reichel said. "At this point, accessibility is definitely a priority because it deals with the fact that we want to be open to anyone who's signed into Charter."
Terrace
Terrace Club president Jacob Shapiro '04 could not be reached for comment and did not meet with the ADAA.
Small improvements
As Salmon rode her motorized wheelchair along Prospect Avenue, she praised her overall University experience. However, she suggested small improvements that could be made to many of the clubs.
For Mann-Podrasky, attempts would at least represent a beginning.
"Even if you don't have a disabled member, that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least consider these options," he said. "I bet your members have guests or friends [who are disabled]."
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