This fall quarter marks my second to last quarter as an undergrad student at Western Washington University; three months from now, I will graduate with a degree in Political Science. This quarter started out well; it was entirely uneventful, and just full of studies. I liked this a lot in; I felt like a typical student. I did however have to meet with the Disability Resources for Students (DRS), and get my paperwork to deliver to my professors, then get my professors to sign one copy and return it to the DRS (just like every previous quarter). However, I was able to make my appointment with my counselor in the DRS by e-mail at the end of summer vacation. I also did not have to ask for the DRS to hire my notetakers, they just did it. Another impressive thing is, my counselor looked up my class schedule, to make sure I could access each classroom, and she looked up my book list, so I would not have to send it to her. This cut out a couple simple things, but they are things that most students on campus do not have to do, and by the DRS doing these things (which is why they are paid -- to assist and provide resources for students), it freed me up to focus on my classes and my studies, just like any other student.
There are, however, two things that happened this quarter that have created an inconvenience. There are less and less handicap spots available on WWU's campus due to how many people are in need compared to how many spots that are provided. On top of that, there were several people (all with handicap placards) that would park in the large handicap spots. They can still walk and just need a close spot, not room to lower their ramp. One of these ladies was even quite rude to my mom when picking me up; Mom parked in what the lady considered "her" spot. To top it all off, I witnessed a campus cop parked in a handicap spot! They do not need this spot and they are supposed to be punishing people who illegally park in these spots -- yet, they park in the handicap spot because they can. Oh, the irony! The other thing that happened was I had a class on the fourth floor of Old Main and after class I went to the elevator and it did not come and did not come -- I was trapped on the fourth floor. There was not a sign indicating that the elevator was broken or being worked on. I really had to use the bathroom and the only handicap accessible bathroom in Old Main is on the first floor. I also had another class to get to. The elevator fortunately was not broken; it turned out that the lights had burned out and maintenance was fixing that problem. It would have been nice to know that when I got to the elevator and discovered it to not be working; a simple sign would do.
About four weeks into the quarter, I entered the DRS for my first test, I was relieved to find out that I was being provided a scribe. I had asked for one earlier in the year and was a little skeptical if I would actually receive one. I was also excited to find that the scribe that had been hired for my first test was a friend that I had met at Camp Promise-West (CPW) over the summer; she was an employee at Camp Stand By Me where CPW is located. A friendly face makes taking a test so much nicer. I also was thankful that I did not have to write myself as this is getting harder for me to do, and it is extremely difficult for people to read my chicken scratch.
When I entered the DRS, I also noticed that the person who has taken over the position of organizing and distributing tests likes to stand while working. This is not a problem; I understand that some people are more comfortable this way, which is totally fine. However, he does not just have a work desk that he stands at; his entire work station is adjusted to his height. He is about 6'2", which is not a problem either, but when there are multiple people who are in wheelchairs (and some of us with limited arm strength) want to interact with the test guy, we have to look up and over his test station. It is difficult to hand him papers, and to turn in our tests. The drop box that we place our tests in is at least a foot OVER my head. This was not thought through very well; the DRS should be just as accommodating to the students who employ them as they are for their employees. It would be great to be able to turn in my own test and access the independence the DRS is supposedly helping us obtain.
Fast forward to my next test, the DRS did not hire a scribe for me even though I had specifically asked for a scribe for every test. However, I let it slide. Then the next test - again, no scribe. I decided I needed to e-mail my counselor and explain to her that it was difficult for me to write out the answers to the two tests that I did not have scribes for and would really appreciate it if they could hire me a scribe for each of my finals. She told me that she would put my finals on the list.
When I arrived for my first final, the test guy proclaimed that I had just been put on the scribe list and that he would find me one. He pulled a student, who worked in the DRS away from his typical duties and had him scribe for me. I had asked in plenty of time to have a scribe, once in the summer and once again after midterms which is over their five days in advance policy, and my name just appeared on the scribe list the morning of my final? Either there was a miscommunication error that happened somewhere between my request and what the test guy was informed, or he just forgot to hire a scribe for me. I hope that the student that scribed for me is a paid DRS employee, and if he is not, he better be paid for being my scribe. He did a really good job, and if the test guy had not made his comment, I probably would not have ever known that he was not a hired scribe. My next final went smoothly in that the test was there and a scribe had been hired. The only downfall was that every time I have an 8:00am final, I have to get there at least twenty minutes early because a line quickly forms outside the DRS. DRS personnel did not open their doors until after 8:00am and almost every student who had an 8:00am final on that day was piled up outside the locked DRS in the hallway. It took about fifteen minutes after they arrived and opened the doors for me to start my test. Thus, from the time I arrived, I waited for over a half an hour to receive my test, and this is the way it is every time I have an 8:00am final. If I were to get there at 8:00am (which I did the very first 8:00am final I had), I would wait for my test even longer and start my test even later; this is not acceptable! To top it off, I had a second final that day. If I had not arrived early, I would not have had enough time to complete one test before the second was to begin. There needs to be a better system that is more courteous to the students who are taking their finals. Students who take their final in the classroom do not have to arrive early, just to try to be able to start their test on time. Students who take their test in the classroom do not have to stand around and wait ten to forty minutes past the start time of the test to receive their test. This builds anxiety and is not respecting the students and the fact that most students just want their finals to be over with; this should not be extended by the lack of efficiency by the DRS. Over half the students who take their final through the DRS do not even take their final in the DRS. However, they all show up to the DRS, stand in line, and then are sent across campus to the Multipurpose room. Why is this happening? This bogs down the DRS, but it also is quite cumbersome to the student who just stood in one line, just to turn around and walk somewhere else, to end up standing in another line just to receive their test! For my last final, I arrived a couple minutes early as less students were taking a final at this time. When I approached the front of the line the test proctor realized that my professor had yet to send my exam. He e-mailed, Instant Messaged, and had a student employee call my professor. She did not answer. I suggested to the student employee that he call the Political Science office; when the student did, the Political Science office explained that they did not know where my professor was. My professor was not in a classroom because I had to switch my final exam time due to having two exams in a row and wanting the extended time for my first exam. However, my professor did have to proctor another final at 3:30pm so I assured she was on campus. The student employee ran across campus to my professor's office to find her with her feet up on her desk. She said that she was not answering her phone or e-mails as she was grading exams. I am thankful for the student who found my professor and had her send my test to the DRS; however, the DRS did not do its job. They need to make sure that all tests are delivered before the student who is to take that test arrives.
While my professor was negligent in not sending my exam, the DRS was even more neglectful as they should have made sure my test had arrived before my exam time. This lack of organization has occurred multiple times for me alone and causes anxiety and unnecessary stress during finals. The DRS should require professors to turn in their exam by the Friday of dead week and could easily put together an e-mail reminder for professors. (This would ensure the DRS can access the test as some professors may only be on campus during their scheduled final time and unreachable. I was fortunate; as I explained above, my final time had changed to provided extended time and my professor could have left campus for winter break had she not had a final later that day). The DRS would then be able to print out tests the day before and put them in envelopes with each student's name on the envelope. When the student arrives, they are handed their test creating an efficient and expedient system that allows for quick transition into testing. This is simple and common sense.
So the whole lack of efficiency with regards to test taking in the DRS is small compared to what happened during Dead Week. At the end of every Fall Quarter Dead Week, a children's book fair is held on the sixth floor of Wilson Library. I love to go browse through all the books and purchase some books for my sister who is an aspiring kindergarten teacher. This year I went to the book fair with my friend who is also in a wheelchair. About ten minutes after arriving at the book fair, the fire alarm went off. At first I just dismissed it as I have been stuck in buildings during fire drills before (as a person in a wheelchair, I cannot flee a building when the fire alarm begins to wail). However, I was quickly informed by the smell of smoke and library staff personnel that this was not a drill, that there was a fire and that both my friend and I were to remain in the fire safety zone. In questioning the staff, I found that they did not know what to do with a person who could not exit the building; all they told us was to stay in the "safety zone". We stayed in the cement cell for about ten minutes before the alarm subsided and people began to return to the sixth floor. I was told that brownies had caught fire on the second floor. This was a little confusing to me as smoke (however, not burnt chocolate smelling smoke) had made it to the sixth floor. I did not realize that burnt brownies made that much stinky smoke. I also figured out that the fire department did not show; I was told they had not been called as they had to sweep the building before calling to make sure there was actually a fire. If the fire department is not called right away (or not called at all), the fire safety zones DO NOT work. It took over ten minutes for someone to inform me that the fire was just burt brownies. So if it took them ten minutes to find the culprit of the smoke and screeching fire alarm before calling the fire department, then by that time, the whole building could be up in flames.
That night, I e-mailed the OCR and the vice president (VP) to address my concerns. I wrote how I am disappointed with how the situation was handled due to the lack of training. I also questioned the response that I had received last year when I had addressed the fire safety plan on campus. The head of the DRS (at the time) informed me that there was a fire safety plan and I could come to his office at any time and look over it. The library staff had never been told of any such plan, so either it does not actually exist, or if it does, there is a huge communication disjoint at WWU. I also brought to the VP's and OCR's attention that the head of the DRS (now) was at the same book fair when the fire alarm sounded. She did not address me, nor did she inform the library floor warden what to do; she was right there and and she left. I did not expect her to stay for the entire duration of us being stuck in the fire safety zone, but it would have been a little more reassuring if she would have addressed me or passed on some pertinent information that had not been previously passed along to the library staff. She is the head of the Resources for Disabled Students. I am a disabled student and she was lacking resources at a crucial time and she left me, as well as my friend and the library staff, hanging. I know that during a fire it is not the time to address the escape plan -- it should have been set up way before hand -- but in this situation, it had not. So, it seemed like the best time to come up with a plan (or pass on the one that had been supposedly written). I also informed the VP and OCR that I do not feel safe on campus, and that this is a liability that they need to fix. I did receive an e-mail from the VP and she reassured me that the safety of the students is WWU's number one priority. I question this, but I hope that she is serious this time. I do not want a fire worse than the one that occurred in Wilson to happen without an actual plan in place (I rather a fire not happen at all, but in case of such an unfortunate event, there needs to be a well known plan).
My urgency in solving this problem earned me a meeting with an OCR personnel. I met with her last Wednesday, and she told me that they (WWU) had messed up. She believed that the supposed plan had been implemented and passed along to all employees that needed to know this plan. We brainstormed solutions to the problem at hand. I brought up that all students who cannot exit the building in the event of a fire should be able to have all their classes on a floor with the access to the outside. She brought up that all floor wardens will be taught what to do with regards to someone not being able to exit a building in the event of a fire. I also brought up that all floor wardens should know if a student who cannot exit the building has a class on their floor. She mentioned the problem of how the fire safety zones are not clearly labeled and not easily found. This is not acceptable as a person who cannot exit the building needs to be able to find this zone as soon as possible in order to get away from the smoke and to be found by the firemen. I also brought up that not all the fire safety zones on campus are up to code (or if they did pass, they are still not safe). All safety zones are legally supposed to have a two way phone. The one that I was stuck in (in Wilson Library) does not have one. They are also supposed to be either fire proof for up to an hour or have a sprinkler inside. The one in Wilson does not have a sprinkler, but I have been informed that it is fire proof for up to an hour. There are other building on campus lacking in a safety zone altogether. Some have two way phones, but they are not in an enclosed area; they are just hanging in the hall exposed to the elements. Smoke would fill the area within seconds and then it would be too late. If safety is WWU's number one priority, then why are they not following legal protocol in order to have the safest campus possible for ALL students?
While I was meeting with OCR, I was informed that the information about the fire department not being called was incorrect. The OCR lady told me that when the fire alarm is triggered, the fire department is automatically called. However, the fire department was called off. My question is why were they so quickly called off if it took over ten minutes for my friend and I to be informed that all was clear, that someone had just burned brownies on the second floor?
The fire station is located about six blocks from campus and then there are two more stations located within three minutes of campus. There is no way that the fire department would respond in less than five minutes. This means that the fire department would have had to be called off within minutes of the fire alarm being sounded. This also means that either someone called off the fire department prematurely, hoping that the reason that the fire alarm set off was not major, or they did find and deal with the source right away and did not inform us that the fire was not a big deal! Instead we had to wait up there, thinking the building may be on fire, but with the understanding that the fire department was on there way, so when they did not come and ten minutes passed and they still had not come, I was filled with questions. Where were they? Had they not been called? Are they here and just have not found us yet?
I have been told two different stories about why the fire department did not show to this event. But either way, the fire department did not show due to WWU's actions (either not calling or calling off the fire department), and both my friend and I were trapped in a small cement bunker for about ten minutes thinking that there was a possibility the building may be on fire. During my time in the fire safety zone I did not feel safe and I do not feel as if I was respected. I knew I was potentially in danger, and no one informed me otherwise. I have talked to the Whatcom County Fire Marshall (he is a family friend), and he is getting me the report of what actually happened so I know if the fire department was called, and if they were called, how fast they were called off.
This whole situation is unacceptable; protocol is not being followed. I am not upset that I could not exit the building, I chose to go to the sixth floor and with that comes consequences due to my necessity of elevators. I cannot not do things just because they are on an upper floor and I cannot exit the building in a fire on my own (I would miss out on a lot -- the world is built not just horizontal, but vertical as well). I am thankful for elevators, they give me the freedom to access so many places that I would not be able to go without them, but once the fire alarm sounds, I am no longer able to utilize them as they have morphed into a hazardous trap. This is why there needs to be a safety zone and there needs to be a plan; these areas need to be very visible, up to code and people involved need to know the plan. I do not understand why a potentially tragic situation has to occur before something gets done. I addressed this issue beforehand and nothing beneficial happened. But now that a civil suit could occur, they are scrambling to pull something together. I am just glad that this event happened in the way that it did; it did not end tragic but is opening eyes to the possibility of what could have happened. This hopefully will push things foreword and a plan will actually be implemented this time.
There needs to be better communication at WWU, before and during events like the one I experienced. The safety zones need to brought up to code and WWU needs to live up to their standard of making the safety of all students their number one priority; they need to do so before something tragic actually occurs.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Drinking for a Cause: This is How We Roll Bar Crawl
This past Sunday, I, along with many others, joined together to raise money for Camp Promise-West (CPW). We met at Redmond's Bar and Grill and later, we ventured on to Palmer's. Both of these bars, located in Redmond, Washington, made the deal to donate half of the revenue made by any drink ordered (during the time that we were there), to CPW! After these two bar stops, this group joined more fundraiser participants at La Isla (also in Redmond). I was unable to continue into the dinner portion, as I needed to return back to Bellingham. Participants purchased tickets, and La Isla made dinner for them; then they donated the proceeds to CPW too! This year, the bar crawl and beneficial dinner raised $3,000.00 for CPW.
We are so thankful that these two bars and La Isla, that they were willing to partner with CPW and donate so much to this camp! However, there was one detail that was hard for us to miss. The first bar that we went to, Redmond's Bar and Grill, does have an accessible entrance, but it is in the back. Instead of entering through the main door on the street, those of us in wheelchairs (which is a large percentage of campers at CPW) have to enter through the entrance off the back alley. I understand that this bar is old, and I am glad that they have an accessible entrance, but it is not the most visible and the room that has to be traveled through after entering the back door is quite crowded. It is important to note that the ramp is to the left (it runs parallel to the back wall), so when you exit the back door, and you may have had a drink or two, or five, that you do not forget to turn, as if you didn't turn, you would drive right down the stairs! Do not worry, none of us did that this past Sunday! The second bar, Palmer's, is flat in and quite spacious!
Not only did this fundraiser raise money for this years camp, but it also was a wonderful time to get together and converse with friends from camp and meet those from the community who support CPW. Camp Promise is the only camp for both kids and adults with neuromuscular diseases. This amazing camp is a place where people of all ages and abilities gather and spend a wonderful week together. Camp Promise offers a week filled with friends, as well as indoor and adaptive outdoor activities. I love camp, because here I meet people who have similar challenges as I and we can learn from each others' experiences; however, the campers at this camp all share more than the common denominator of having a disabling neuromuscular disease, we all love life. At Camp promise, we are given the opportunity to do things that we may not normally be able to do; there is adaptive canoeing, adaptive archery, a pontoon boat that we can drive right onto; there's also an indoor, heated swimming pool, arts and crafts, different workshops and dances. Each day is also themed; we dress up in accordance to that day. Camp is overall an amazing week, spent with spectacular people!
Below, I have linked the First Giving website; would you consider donating to this spectacular camp?! Thank you!
CPW2014 Fundraising Pagewww.firstgiving.comThanks for visiting the 2014 Camp Promise-West page! Camp Promise-West is still the only camp option exclusively for kids and adults with neuromuscular disorders. We are open to ages …
We are so thankful that these two bars and La Isla, that they were willing to partner with CPW and donate so much to this camp! However, there was one detail that was hard for us to miss. The first bar that we went to, Redmond's Bar and Grill, does have an accessible entrance, but it is in the back. Instead of entering through the main door on the street, those of us in wheelchairs (which is a large percentage of campers at CPW) have to enter through the entrance off the back alley. I understand that this bar is old, and I am glad that they have an accessible entrance, but it is not the most visible and the room that has to be traveled through after entering the back door is quite crowded. It is important to note that the ramp is to the left (it runs parallel to the back wall), so when you exit the back door, and you may have had a drink or two, or five, that you do not forget to turn, as if you didn't turn, you would drive right down the stairs! Do not worry, none of us did that this past Sunday! The second bar, Palmer's, is flat in and quite spacious!
Not only did this fundraiser raise money for this years camp, but it also was a wonderful time to get together and converse with friends from camp and meet those from the community who support CPW. Camp Promise is the only camp for both kids and adults with neuromuscular diseases. This amazing camp is a place where people of all ages and abilities gather and spend a wonderful week together. Camp Promise offers a week filled with friends, as well as indoor and adaptive outdoor activities. I love camp, because here I meet people who have similar challenges as I and we can learn from each others' experiences; however, the campers at this camp all share more than the common denominator of having a disabling neuromuscular disease, we all love life. At Camp promise, we are given the opportunity to do things that we may not normally be able to do; there is adaptive canoeing, adaptive archery, a pontoon boat that we can drive right onto; there's also an indoor, heated swimming pool, arts and crafts, different workshops and dances. Each day is also themed; we dress up in accordance to that day. Camp is overall an amazing week, spent with spectacular people!
Below, I have linked the First Giving website; would you consider donating to this spectacular camp?! Thank you!
CPW2014 Fundraising Pagewww.firstgiving.comThanks for visiting the 2014 Camp Promise-West page! Camp Promise-West is still the only camp option exclusively for kids and adults with neuromuscular disorders. We are open to ages …
Saturday, August 9, 2014
A Necessary Evil: Why I Hate Handicapped Parking Spots
I hate handicap parking spots. I know that this is a strong statement, but I really do hate handicap parking spots. This is not to say that I am not grateful that there are spots that are supposed to allow enough space for me to park my handicap accessible van, safely lower my ramp, exit, and then later reenter my van. However, these spot are limited and segregate the disabled community from everyone else.
The spots are limited in that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) only requires one out of every twenty-five "regular" spots to be handicap accessible, and as the "regular" spots increase, the number of required handicap spots per "regular" spots decrease; in a parking lot of three hundred parking spots, only seven have to be handicap accessible. The other thing is, after the first van accessible spot, there only has to be one more van accessible spot for every eight smaller handicap spots. (I, along with others who have handicap accessible vans, cannot utilize the smaller spots, as I need about eight feet of space to exit my van). These ratios were declared law in 1990 by the ADA, but have yet to be updated; these ratios may have been acceptable then, but it is twenty four years later, and this law is outdated.
According to a study conducted last year by the Seattle Times, one in ten cars have a handicap accessible placard/plates that allow them to park in one of the "close spots". This is a large percentage of parking placards for the amount of required handicap accessible spots. In a parking lot of three hundred spaces, there only needs to be seven handicap spaces, but if that parking lot happens to be full, and ten percent of those cars have a handicap accessible placard (meaning thirty cars would have one), then twenty three cars who are in need of a handicap spot, would be without a place to park.
Now, there is the factor that the person who needs the placard is not in a couple of these cars, so then those cars do not need to park in the handicap spots (which leaves them open for someone else who needs one); this should be the case (and many times people do not abuse the unlawful use of a placard that is not theirs), but many do use it for their own convenience (and sometimes people park in a handicap spot even without a parking placard). I have also witnessed many people just sitting in their car while occupying a handicap parking spot.
Not too long ago, I was waiting for a handicap spot to open; I watched a lady get into her car (that was parked in a handicap spot), open up a magazine, and start reading it! A couple days ago, a man (who had a red -- a temporary -- handicap placard) was parked in a handicap spot (the furthest handicap spot from the entrance) waiting for a friend. Even though he had a handicap placard, why did he have to sit in a handicap spot (his friend walked quickly to the car and seemed perfectly fine); why did he not sit and wait for his friend near the entrance? Multiple times, I have also had the car in front of me take the last handicap spot (some have placards, some do not; some seem to need the handicap space, and some do not); this is a dual problem as there are not enough handicap spots to satisfy the amount of cars with handicap placards, and at the same time, people who do not need a handicap spot take one just because they can, or as one young man defiantly proclaimed, "[w]hat?! This is a handicap spot?!", when he was questioned as to why he and his girlfriend were parked in an accessible spot without a placard. I am sorry dude, but the spots are clearly labeled with a sign in front of the spot, a large universal handicap sign painted smack in the middle of the spot, and of course they have the extra space on one, or both sides, of the car. I am legally blind, and I am able to see the labeling just fine; I am also legally not able to drive, due to my vision, so my question is, why can he get his licience, and I cannot?
Other things that I have witnessed with regards to people abusing handicap spots is a lady jumping out of her car, running into the store, then running through the store (with a cart), filling her cart to the brim, and then running back to her car after paying for her goods. Something similar to this happens at parks all the time. I love going to Boulevard Park here in Bellingham, and there are handicap spots intermittently distributed along the parking lot, so there are regular spots that are just as close (or closer) to different attractions throughout the park. I have seen people park in a handicap spot and then WALK THE BOARDWALK! If you can walk the entire boardwalk, why does it matter where you park in the parking lot? If you need a close spot, and there is a "regular spot" open right next to the handicap spot, please park in the "regular" spot. Just because you have a parking placard, does not mean you have to park in a handicap spot. Those of us in wheelchairs cannot just park in just any spot, as we need the space (and usually not the closeness).
Handicap spots are just one thing that segregates the disabled (single us out); only those with the special placard can park in the "close spots". In trying to make life easier for the disabled, the ADA actually made life a little harder by allowing businesses to segregate their parking lots. If it is okay for the handicapped to be segregated out in a simple thing like parking, then why not segregate handicap people from other things as well? Segregated parking spots also lead to segregated entrances. If the handicap spots are all clustered together at one end of the business, then it is only "reasonable"for that business to make that entrance the accessible entrance. It probably would not even cross that business' mind to make both entrances accessible. The interesting thing is, "separate, but equal" was supposed to have been outlawed in 1954 by the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Handicap spots are a necessary evil, as people with disabilities either need a close spot or space to get in and out of their vehicle. My dream would be for every spot to have space to lower ramps, so that everyone could park anywhere. However, there is one flaw to this universal design (besides the fact that businesses could not cram as many spaces into their parking lot as they would like); those who need close spots would not be "guaranteed" one, as EVERYONE seems to want the close spots (including the handicap spots) even if they are perfectly able to walk across the parking lot. However, since there are not enough handicap spots (as of now) and people already abuse the use of handicap placards and park in the close spots, people who need close spots are not guaranteed one now. If every spot was accessible, then those of us with disabilities would no longer be segregated by having to use "separate, but equal" parking.
Most places that I have been to have their required quota of accessible spots, and some even get away without having any, but one place that I wanted to recognize is the Community Food Co-Op on Cordata here in Bellingham; they have eight handicap spots and have about thirty spots altogether. This parking lot is not completely filled with handicap spots, but about one third of them are. There is always a handicap spot open, and I hope other businesses can look toward to Co-Op as an example; no business should follow the letter of the law, but the essence of the law and cater to their clients' needs.
The spots are limited in that the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) only requires one out of every twenty-five "regular" spots to be handicap accessible, and as the "regular" spots increase, the number of required handicap spots per "regular" spots decrease; in a parking lot of three hundred parking spots, only seven have to be handicap accessible. The other thing is, after the first van accessible spot, there only has to be one more van accessible spot for every eight smaller handicap spots. (I, along with others who have handicap accessible vans, cannot utilize the smaller spots, as I need about eight feet of space to exit my van). These ratios were declared law in 1990 by the ADA, but have yet to be updated; these ratios may have been acceptable then, but it is twenty four years later, and this law is outdated.
According to a study conducted last year by the Seattle Times, one in ten cars have a handicap accessible placard/plates that allow them to park in one of the "close spots". This is a large percentage of parking placards for the amount of required handicap accessible spots. In a parking lot of three hundred spaces, there only needs to be seven handicap spaces, but if that parking lot happens to be full, and ten percent of those cars have a handicap accessible placard (meaning thirty cars would have one), then twenty three cars who are in need of a handicap spot, would be without a place to park.
Now, there is the factor that the person who needs the placard is not in a couple of these cars, so then those cars do not need to park in the handicap spots (which leaves them open for someone else who needs one); this should be the case (and many times people do not abuse the unlawful use of a placard that is not theirs), but many do use it for their own convenience (and sometimes people park in a handicap spot even without a parking placard). I have also witnessed many people just sitting in their car while occupying a handicap parking spot.
Not too long ago, I was waiting for a handicap spot to open; I watched a lady get into her car (that was parked in a handicap spot), open up a magazine, and start reading it! A couple days ago, a man (who had a red -- a temporary -- handicap placard) was parked in a handicap spot (the furthest handicap spot from the entrance) waiting for a friend. Even though he had a handicap placard, why did he have to sit in a handicap spot (his friend walked quickly to the car and seemed perfectly fine); why did he not sit and wait for his friend near the entrance? Multiple times, I have also had the car in front of me take the last handicap spot (some have placards, some do not; some seem to need the handicap space, and some do not); this is a dual problem as there are not enough handicap spots to satisfy the amount of cars with handicap placards, and at the same time, people who do not need a handicap spot take one just because they can, or as one young man defiantly proclaimed, "[w]hat?! This is a handicap spot?!", when he was questioned as to why he and his girlfriend were parked in an accessible spot without a placard. I am sorry dude, but the spots are clearly labeled with a sign in front of the spot, a large universal handicap sign painted smack in the middle of the spot, and of course they have the extra space on one, or both sides, of the car. I am legally blind, and I am able to see the labeling just fine; I am also legally not able to drive, due to my vision, so my question is, why can he get his licience, and I cannot?
Other things that I have witnessed with regards to people abusing handicap spots is a lady jumping out of her car, running into the store, then running through the store (with a cart), filling her cart to the brim, and then running back to her car after paying for her goods. Something similar to this happens at parks all the time. I love going to Boulevard Park here in Bellingham, and there are handicap spots intermittently distributed along the parking lot, so there are regular spots that are just as close (or closer) to different attractions throughout the park. I have seen people park in a handicap spot and then WALK THE BOARDWALK! If you can walk the entire boardwalk, why does it matter where you park in the parking lot? If you need a close spot, and there is a "regular spot" open right next to the handicap spot, please park in the "regular" spot. Just because you have a parking placard, does not mean you have to park in a handicap spot. Those of us in wheelchairs cannot just park in just any spot, as we need the space (and usually not the closeness).
Handicap spots are just one thing that segregates the disabled (single us out); only those with the special placard can park in the "close spots". In trying to make life easier for the disabled, the ADA actually made life a little harder by allowing businesses to segregate their parking lots. If it is okay for the handicapped to be segregated out in a simple thing like parking, then why not segregate handicap people from other things as well? Segregated parking spots also lead to segregated entrances. If the handicap spots are all clustered together at one end of the business, then it is only "reasonable"for that business to make that entrance the accessible entrance. It probably would not even cross that business' mind to make both entrances accessible. The interesting thing is, "separate, but equal" was supposed to have been outlawed in 1954 by the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Handicap spots are a necessary evil, as people with disabilities either need a close spot or space to get in and out of their vehicle. My dream would be for every spot to have space to lower ramps, so that everyone could park anywhere. However, there is one flaw to this universal design (besides the fact that businesses could not cram as many spaces into their parking lot as they would like); those who need close spots would not be "guaranteed" one, as EVERYONE seems to want the close spots (including the handicap spots) even if they are perfectly able to walk across the parking lot. However, since there are not enough handicap spots (as of now) and people already abuse the use of handicap placards and park in the close spots, people who need close spots are not guaranteed one now. If every spot was accessible, then those of us with disabilities would no longer be segregated by having to use "separate, but equal" parking.
Most places that I have been to have their required quota of accessible spots, and some even get away without having any, but one place that I wanted to recognize is the Community Food Co-Op on Cordata here in Bellingham; they have eight handicap spots and have about thirty spots altogether. This parking lot is not completely filled with handicap spots, but about one third of them are. There is always a handicap spot open, and I hope other businesses can look toward to Co-Op as an example; no business should follow the letter of the law, but the essence of the law and cater to their clients' needs.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The Best for Last: Another Spring Quarter
As of now, I only have 29 more credits until I can graduate! So, if everything goes as planned, this past Spring quarter was my last, and I will graduate Winter quarter of 2015! I did not plan on saving my best Spring quarter for my last Spring quarter, it just happened that way. For the previous eight quarters, I have been fighting for my rights as a disabled student at Western. When I finally began to receive the accommodations that I needed, I was finally able to take four classes (instead of three), and I earned the highest GPA than I ever have my entire time at Western. I did not struggle to keep afloat, and more importantly, I was not frustrated by the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), which made my quarter way more pleasant. I loved my computer reading my textbooks to me, instead of struggling to read them myself or having someone else take their time to read them to me. I also highly appreciated having a personal notetaker that I could talk to and tell them exactly what I was looking for in notes; instead of relying on some random person in the class to write down the most important things in an easy to follow manner, or not having anyone volunteer to take/share notes at all. Another positive thing that happened was one of my classes was going to be in an inaccessible classroom, and even before I had to ask, my DRS counselor pointed out that I would not be able to access that room, so she was going to change it, and she did! I also never had to ask a student to move from the one accessible table, as they did reserve it for me both times I took an exam in the DRS. I am not too fond of "having a table just for me", I rather be able to just sit at any table that is unoccupied, but I cannot; so, having them reserve it is the second best option so I do not have to disturb someone, by asking them to move, as they are testing at the only table I can sit at. The only accommodation that did not work out was the camera that would allow me to see the board. This camera would only clearly view the board if I was around ten feet away. This was a problem because I cannot always access the front of the room. The other problem was, this camera could only be connected to a PC, and I have a Mac. This meant that I had to rent a PC from the DRS, but I did not want to carry around two computers! However, since I had really good notetakers, not being able to see the board was not a problem. Thank you to both my amazing notetakers, Kini and Molly. I am glad to have met you both, and I will miss having you in class!
Something that happened multiple times this past quarter was that obstacles were appearing all over; they ranged from temporary cars on pathways to new ropes to designate queue lines that had worked previously without the ropes.
There was a loading truck completely blocking the pathway by the Communications building leading from the handicap spots to the handicap accessible entrance, so I had to either wait for the workers to finish and move on their way or go all the way around to the front of the building and then use the elevator; but the tractor that parked in the same spot couple of days later left enough room, so I could access the handicap spots by driving into the parking lot. Now, in both of these situations, if I could have been able to use the same doors as everyone else does to enter the Communications building from the parking lot, these two obstacles would not have been a problem! Around the same time, a work truck parked at the end of the ramp leading out of Miller Hall; fortunately this did not trap me in Miller, but it did greatly inconvenience me. I had to go back inside, and go to the elevate, and then use the elevator to go down a half floor! I totally rather use the ramp because the elevator takes so long; Miller is a five story building with half floors.
Something that happened multiple times this past quarter was that obstacles were appearing all over; they ranged from temporary cars on pathways to new ropes to designate queue lines that had worked previously without the ropes.
There was a loading truck completely blocking the pathway by the Communications building leading from the handicap spots to the handicap accessible entrance, so I had to either wait for the workers to finish and move on their way or go all the way around to the front of the building and then use the elevator; but the tractor that parked in the same spot couple of days later left enough room, so I could access the handicap spots by driving into the parking lot. Now, in both of these situations, if I could have been able to use the same doors as everyone else does to enter the Communications building from the parking lot, these two obstacles would not have been a problem! Around the same time, a work truck parked at the end of the ramp leading out of Miller Hall; fortunately this did not trap me in Miller, but it did greatly inconvenience me. I had to go back inside, and go to the elevate, and then use the elevator to go down a half floor! I totally rather use the ramp because the elevator takes so long; Miller is a five story building with half floors.
A sidewalk leads to the patio that is in front of the main entrance to the Communications Facility building. To the left of the pathway are bushes, and to the right sits the accessible parking. On the patio, a large white truck is parked, blocking the pathway from the accessible parking to the accessible entrance.
A tractor parked on the patio in front of the Communications Facility building, blocking the pathway from the accessible entrance to the accessible parking; this tractor is blocking the same pathway as the loading truck picture, just taken from the other side.
A white work truck is parked at the end of the brick ramp that leads out of Miller Hall, blocking the path to Red Square that is located just beyond the ramp.
The two sets of queues that appeared this past quarter, made Subway and Starbucks inaccessible to me; and made it extremely difficult to travel through Arntzen. I could not fit in the queue line (and neither could any other person using a wheelchair). When asked, the manager explained that her supervisor said it was necessary to have the queue lines, and since people in wheelchairs could not access the lines, they could just cut to the end and make their order there. As a person in a wheelchair, this is not what I want to hear. First of all, I want to be treated just like everyone else; I do not want special access, I want equal access. There is also the fact that others are not so gracious when it comes to someone cutting in line, definitely when they have been waiting for their food for fifteen minutes; I do not like it so much myself! The other problem is, at Subway, it is set up for a person to go through the line, not just order at the cash register. Besides the inaccessible queue lines, the ropes got in the way when traveling through Arntzen. To get to an empty table by Subway, I had to drive through all the occupied tables (which are all closely spaced together). Before (and now), I was able to access an empty table by Subway by passing in-between the right of the line and the left of the pole, but for some reason, the manager's supervisor thought it would be a grand idea to put a queue line there. However, now that the line is back to the way it was, I, and every other person in a wheelchair can order Subway just like anyone else and we do not have to struggle to get to an empty table if it is by Subway!
The queue line right in front of the Subway located in Arntzen. The queue creates a single switchback line which people have filled. To the right of the queue there is a pole, and to the right of that are tables and chairs.
The queue line now (and how it was prior to Spring quarter). The queue runs parallel to the Subway counter leaving a pathway in between the queue and the pole to the right of the photo. A line of people waiting to order has formed.
The queue line at Arntzen Starbucks during Spring quarter stretched out, curved around and stopped in the middle of the walkway (pictured below); this means that there was a black leg with the round stand right smack in the middle of the way; every time I wanted to pass through, I had to ask someone to move the black leg, and every time I had someone move it, I had them place it right next to the one that you can see in the second picture below. This queue line not only made it extremely hard for me to pass through that area, but it also made it difficult for me to stand in line at Starbucks,
The Starbucks queue in Arntzen during Spring quarter. There is a black pole sitting in the middle of the walkway. About sixteen to eighteen inches to the right of the pole is a wall, to the left is a line of people filling the queue. Beyond the pole is a doorway leading out of the area where the Starbucks is located.
The queue line now (and before Spring quarter)at Starbucks in Arntzen.
This picture is taken from the doorway in the previous photo. The pole that designates the location of the line has been slid over away from the wall and out of the pathway that leads to/from the doorway.
After being passed around from the manager to her supervisor and trying to get the queue lines moved back to the way the had been since Arntzen had been remodeled, I decided it was time to contact the Vice-President of the college. After a phone call and pictures had been sent to the Vice-President, the queue lines were reverted back to the way they were prior to Spring Quarter!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Overcoming Architecture and Mindsets Stuck in the Past: Another Winter Quarter
Before I begin with my academic aspects of this past winter quarter, I wanted to give an update on the walkway near Arntzen Hall. When I returned from Winter Break, the large light pole base had been removed; however, there was now a hole encompassed with cones and caution tape. This hole took about two weeks to be filled and then ready to travel over. I am now able to drive up and down this pathway hassle-free!
I was so relieved when this past winter quarter finally came to an end; I was so thankful to be on spring break and to finally write down all my thoughts that were swimming through my head. This past winter quarter was the most challenging, but the most rewarding quarter that I have experienced. Academically I have never had a quarter so rapid and crammed pack with papers; however, it was not just school work that stretched me, but milestones that stretched my abilities as an advocate for WWU students with disabilities as well.
For the previous seven quarters (before winter quarter), I had encountered so many problems with the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), that I believed should be changed and updated. At the end of fall quarter, I felt like I was not getting anywhere, and I this made me super frustrated. I could not get through to the DRS, and meeting with the lady from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the head of the DRS did not do me any good. I finally came to the point that I decided that I would be just as well off to not even utilize the DRS anymore, as I felt as if I was pulling teeth in order to get my requested accommodations to equalize my learning experience.
My mom decided that it was necessary for her to step in, and she wrote a detailed letter to the president of the college; I was not impressed with what came to follow. My mom sent her letter at the end of fall quarter; fall quarter finished up and then break came and went. She finally got a response about a month later, but it was not from the president. He passed the letter onto the vice president. She wrote a nice, but very politically correct letter back to my mom informing her that they were addressing many of the points that my mom had addressed in her letter. The vice president also indicated that she wanted to meet with me.
A couple of weeks later, I met with the vice president and the lady from the OCR. We discussed all the issues that I had faced during my time at Western and how I strongly believe there to be a lacking of communication between entities on campus; the DRS should not communicate with professors through students; professors should know the expectations of the DRS, so that accommodations can be met in a timely manner; students should not have to be passed around in order for a broken access button or elevator to be reported; and, the DRS needs to be up to date on ALL equipment and safety plans available to persons with disabilities, as they are the disability RESOURCES for students.
After meeting with the vice president and the lady from the OCR, I was given the opportunity to meet with my DRS counselor; the lady from the OCR offered to sit in with me and take notes. This was a positive step in the right direction, as I could freely express my needs and the DRS also became aware that superior entities of the college had been introduced to their poor behavior and lack of accommodations. During the meeting, I gained a personal notetaker, the reassurance that the accessible table in the testing room would always be available to me, that they would change any unaccessible classroom, they would provide me with textbooks that would work with a text to speech program that would read my textbooks to me, that I could always come in and brainstorm ideas if a new needed accommodation ever was to arise in the future, and that they would purchase a devise to help me be able to read the board on my own.
All these accommodations do sound awesome, and they are for me, but what I am doing is not with the intention of being just for me. My hope is that the DRS is now treating EVERY student with the same respect that they now are giving me (ever since I reported their poor behavior). After my meeting with the vice president, I started to receive e-mails from my DRS counselor. "Just checking in to see how you are…", and "Let me know if you need anything…" She had only done this once before; the last time she "checked in" was right after I had met with the lady from the OCR and the head of the DRS (spring quarter of 2013). To me, it seems like a huge coincidence if these e-mails were not prompted by my meeting with the vice president. I am thankful that I been given the accommodations that I have requested, but I do not want them just for myself. I hope that all students with disabilities can receive their accommodations without having to pull teeth or having to complain to the "big whigs" on campus. One day, my dream would be to see universal design on every campus, so that all people, including those of us with disabilities, feel welcome to learn, study and grow, just like anyone else.
I was so relieved when this past winter quarter finally came to an end; I was so thankful to be on spring break and to finally write down all my thoughts that were swimming through my head. This past winter quarter was the most challenging, but the most rewarding quarter that I have experienced. Academically I have never had a quarter so rapid and crammed pack with papers; however, it was not just school work that stretched me, but milestones that stretched my abilities as an advocate for WWU students with disabilities as well.
For the previous seven quarters (before winter quarter), I had encountered so many problems with the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), that I believed should be changed and updated. At the end of fall quarter, I felt like I was not getting anywhere, and I this made me super frustrated. I could not get through to the DRS, and meeting with the lady from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the head of the DRS did not do me any good. I finally came to the point that I decided that I would be just as well off to not even utilize the DRS anymore, as I felt as if I was pulling teeth in order to get my requested accommodations to equalize my learning experience.
My mom decided that it was necessary for her to step in, and she wrote a detailed letter to the president of the college; I was not impressed with what came to follow. My mom sent her letter at the end of fall quarter; fall quarter finished up and then break came and went. She finally got a response about a month later, but it was not from the president. He passed the letter onto the vice president. She wrote a nice, but very politically correct letter back to my mom informing her that they were addressing many of the points that my mom had addressed in her letter. The vice president also indicated that she wanted to meet with me.
A couple of weeks later, I met with the vice president and the lady from the OCR. We discussed all the issues that I had faced during my time at Western and how I strongly believe there to be a lacking of communication between entities on campus; the DRS should not communicate with professors through students; professors should know the expectations of the DRS, so that accommodations can be met in a timely manner; students should not have to be passed around in order for a broken access button or elevator to be reported; and, the DRS needs to be up to date on ALL equipment and safety plans available to persons with disabilities, as they are the disability RESOURCES for students.
After meeting with the vice president and the lady from the OCR, I was given the opportunity to meet with my DRS counselor; the lady from the OCR offered to sit in with me and take notes. This was a positive step in the right direction, as I could freely express my needs and the DRS also became aware that superior entities of the college had been introduced to their poor behavior and lack of accommodations. During the meeting, I gained a personal notetaker, the reassurance that the accessible table in the testing room would always be available to me, that they would change any unaccessible classroom, they would provide me with textbooks that would work with a text to speech program that would read my textbooks to me, that I could always come in and brainstorm ideas if a new needed accommodation ever was to arise in the future, and that they would purchase a devise to help me be able to read the board on my own.
All these accommodations do sound awesome, and they are for me, but what I am doing is not with the intention of being just for me. My hope is that the DRS is now treating EVERY student with the same respect that they now are giving me (ever since I reported their poor behavior). After my meeting with the vice president, I started to receive e-mails from my DRS counselor. "Just checking in to see how you are…", and "Let me know if you need anything…" She had only done this once before; the last time she "checked in" was right after I had met with the lady from the OCR and the head of the DRS (spring quarter of 2013). To me, it seems like a huge coincidence if these e-mails were not prompted by my meeting with the vice president. I am thankful that I been given the accommodations that I have requested, but I do not want them just for myself. I hope that all students with disabilities can receive their accommodations without having to pull teeth or having to complain to the "big whigs" on campus. One day, my dream would be to see universal design on every campus, so that all people, including those of us with disabilities, feel welcome to learn, study and grow, just like anyone else.
Monday, January 20, 2014
3E Revolution: International Day of Acceptance
Today, January 20th, marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day of Acceptance. This day was created in honor and in memory of Annie Hopkins, and has now spread beyond the greater Chicago area. Annie created the wheelchair heart symbol that represents so much more than what first meets the eye. This symbol does not only encourage others to love the disabled or the disabled to love themselves, but this is a symbol of hope and empowerment. Society needs to be taught that those of us with disabilities are people first; we want to be loved and thought of as just as beautiful as the next person. When someone is loved and respected as a person, they will be empowered just like any other person. Annie's symbol has grown into more than just a design inked onto her shoulder; her wheelchair heart inspiration has grown into an entire corporation: 3E Love.
To celebrate this years Day of Acceptance, 3E Love is facilitating an essay contest. Since the wheelchair heart symbol has a significant meaning that the world needs to know about, and I have such a passion to educate the world about life with a disability, I thought I should enter this contest. Here is what I wrote. In today's society, image is everything. We turn on the television and there is an add for the best weight loss remedy; we flip open a magazine and find the next top model staring right back at us; we enter our school or work place, and we are encouraged by others to purchase the recent hottest items. As much as it would be nice for this not to be the case, the world is focused on image.
A positive social image for those with disabilities is no different than one for an able-bodied person. However, when a negative or ignorant perception has been placed upon a group of people, a positive social image is hard to come by. The wheelchair heart symbol is so important as it represents hope, love and empowerment for and within the disabled community. When we who have a disability have a positive image of ourselves, and can love/embrace who we are, then this perception just may rub off onto the rest of the world.
As a person in a wheelchair, the world only sees me as disabled; many cannot see past my disability and therefore, do not treat me as a person first. I wrote this poem to educate the population that even though I may do things differently, I can still lead a successful life.
I may have a disability,
but I am only disabled when others look past my abilities.
I may not be able to walk,
but I am only disabled when I am without my wheels.
I may not be able to climb a flight of stairs,
but I am only disabled when there is not an equivalent elevator.
I may not be able to step down when the sidewalk ends,
but I am only disabled when a curb cut out has not been poured.
I may not be able to handle a door,
but I am only disabled when an access button has not been installed.
I may not be able to write quickly or neatly,
but I am only disabled when I am not granted extra time on tests.
I may not be able to use every stall in a public restroom,
but I am only disabled when there is not an available accessible stall.
I may have a disability,
but I am only disabled when others look past my abilities.
Those of us with disabilities are people too, and the world needs to be educated that we are all unique and different, disabled or not. The wheelchair heart is a symbol that represents anyone with a disability who has the ability to embrace who they truly are. 3E love teaches us to embrace and love who we are; we do not need to change ourselves, the world's perception of "disability" is what needs to be changed. The change lies within the hearts of this world; the change lies in a 3E Love Revolution.
Today, the International Day of Acceptance coincides with a day that we in the United States celebrate. Today, we honor the life and impact made by a man who stood up and spoke out for what he knew was right; this man is Martin Luther King Jr. King based his teachings on the Judaeo-Christian notion that all men are created equal by God. One man should not be deemed more superior or inferior solely based on their physical appearance. King expressed, over and over, how important it is to love one another.
The ultimate expression of love and acceptance is to not judge another based on their physical appearance or ability, but instead on the content of their character.
Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed, ”I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.”
The ultimate expression of love and acceptance is to not judge another based on their physical appearance or ability, but instead on the content of their character.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
A Poem: I Am Only Disabled When
I may have a disability,
but I am only disabled when others look past my abilities.
I may not be able to walk,
but I am only disabled when I am without my wheels.
I may not be able to climb a flight of stairs,
but I am only disabled when there is not an equivalent elevator.
I may not be able to step down when the sidewalk ends,
but I am only disabled when a curb cut out has not been poured.
I may not be able to handle a door,
but I am only disabled when an access button has not been installed.
I may not be able to write quickly or neatly,
but I am only disabled when I am not granted extra time on tests.
I may not be able to use every stall in a public restroom,
but I am only disabled when there is not an available accessible stall.
I may have a disability,
but I am only disabled when others look past my abilities.
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