The one thing that every Princeton student knows is that it's a long haul to classes if you live in Forbes. Imagine having to make that commute two or three times daily in a wheelchair or with a walker. That's exactly what wheelchair-confined Fernando Sanchez '10 has to do, and some days are better than others.
After arriving at McCosh for an economics class one day in early November, Sanchez found servicemen repairing the elevator he would normally take to get to class. While other students used the stairs as an alternative, Sanchez had to call campus security to get the repairmen to stop working. Though he found this particular incident annoying, he said he is pleased overall with the efforts the University has made to make life at Princeton relatively hassle-free for physically disabled students. For that reason, he said, the transition from high school to Princeton was "big but pretty manageable."
For students with impaired mobility, Forbes appears to be the best fit, despite its location, because it is the only college that provides access to the residential offices and dining hall without having to go outside. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Maria Flores-Mills also praised Forbes for the independence it offers a student in a wheelchair. Disabled students do not pick their own housing but go through special-needs housing, which is the same process as for students with severe allergies or asthma.
Sanchez gives a large measure of credit for his satisfaction to Flores-Mills, whose duties include providing the disabled with services and accommodations, from housing to equipment. "She is willing to help out with anything," he said. "I wanted to check out if my classes were accessible, so [Flores-Mills' office] checked for me." Flores-Mills said the office is more than willing to help, but that taking a proactive approach, as Sanchez does, is essential.
"K through 12 schools have to ask and assess kids," she said. "College[s are] not obligated by law to determine whether someone has a disability. Students must notify the college and provide documentation of their disability." As a result, says Flores-Mills, students become their own advocates in college, identifying when their needs are not being met.
Laura Garwood '07, who is hearing impaired, was matched up with Jeannette Voight, who transcribes the religion major's lectures onto a screen while sitting next to her. In high school, Garwood got class notes from friends, but she found that with large, fast-paced classes in college it was more beneficial to get the lecture information off the screen in real time and then later to review the notes after she printed them out.
"Princeton has been able to stretch itself out a lot of different ways to help people," she said. "I didn't know I could get a cartographer for free, and I might as well take advantage." She recalled the University employing a sign language specialist for another deaf student. Visually impaired students can request classroom materials on audiotape from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, conveniently headquartered in Princeton, or rely on a pool of volunteer readers.
Flores-Mills believes Princeton ranks "really well" among universities in terms of the services it provides disabled students. "We recently took an important next step by hiring a director of disability services," she said, referring to Eve Tominey. While Flores-Mills works predominantly with undergraduates, Tominey will concentrate on graduate students, staff and visitors, in addition to undergraduates. "The big hope with having hired Eve is that she will raise the visibility of the service we provide," Flores-Mills said. "We were providing service in a decentralized way, and I'm hoping that the visibility will be raised to a level where prospective students [who are disabled] will more easily see themselves at Princeton, and be more encouraged to apply."
Flores-Mills attributes Princeton's ability to accommodate students with disabilities to tremendous financial support from the University. "State schools have a harder time because they are constrained by budgetary needs," Flores-Mills said. "The financial support I have been given has been one of my luxuries in working here."
For all that Princeton does for special-needs students, however, there remain areas for improvement. Though he praises the University's online map — "it's pretty convenient; you can plan ahead" — Sanchez finds it "ironic that Forbes is the most accessible, but also the farthest" from the center of campus. He recalls that he could not attend a club meeting in Spelman Hall, or try his hand as a DJ in the Wilcox basement, because both buildings are wheelchair inaccessible. In addition, the University made it difficult for him to gain access to a golf cart, so Sanchez relies on his wheelchair or occasionally his walker.
The completion of Whitman College in fall 2007 will signify a major improvement in wheelchair accessibility on campus. But for now, if Princeton can address the aggravations of disabled students, then it truly will have taken an important next step.
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