Sidewalks are a typical part of my day; I travel upon them on a daily basis. However, I cannot just cruise along on any given sidewalk without thinking ahead or have the understanding that I may end up needing to alter my path of travel. When it comes to sidewalks, the United States is one of the more modernized countries, but still has a long way to go to be completely accessible to all.
The Federal law here in the states mandates that every time an area of road is renovated, the sidewalks must be updated as well. This is a law with good intentions, and for the most part does keep sidewalks and curb cuts up to date. However, there are sidewalks that are terrible and fall through the cracks of being updated and are left in an unacceptable state, while sidewalks and curb cuts on main roads are replaced time and time again. I have come across many places that are lacking a curb cut altogether.
It is frustrating, as a person in a wheelchair, to see curb cuts that already exist being updated, while there are places I cannot travel because there is not a curb cut out at all. I am grateful that towns and cities are required to update curb cuts as some could be potentially hazardous, but I do not understand how even those can be updated while there are still places that the sidewalk ends without providing equal access for all people to enter or exit the sidewalk.
It is entertaining when one side of the street has curb cuts, but the other does not. There are situations when the sidewalk on one side of the street has curb cuts, but then there not be a curb cut on the other side of the intersection and not be able to continue venturing on the sidewalk; instead, I must travel in the street alongside cars. Another scenario is when I approach the end of the sidewalk and find there is no curb cut, but across the way -- on the other side of the intersection -- there is a beautiful curb cut waiting to be used. This usually leads to me finding a driveway in order to exit the sidewalk or I will completely backtrack all the way back to the previous curb cut where I had entered this section of the sidewalk.
Here in Bellingham, there are many places where the sidewalk ends. On my walks I have encountered the sidewalk end when venturing past the public library. The block of the library has curb cuts, but a block away does not. When walking along State Street there is a bridge; at one end of this bridge, there is not a curb cut, but there is on the other side of the street. When wanting to enter or exit the north side of this bridge, there is a way to do so; at the west side of the bridge, there is a makeshift gravel pathway. This is not the most comfortable pathway, and if a person's wheelchair does not have good traction, I would not recommend this route of travel. There are also multiple neighborhoods that are not completely accessible with curb cut equipped sidewalks. In these neighborhoods, there are blocks that have sidewalks with curb cuts, then a block with out curb cuts, and then stretches without sidewalks at all; I do however prefer roads that do not have sidewalks at all over roads with sidewalks that do not have curb cuts as I do not have to end up backtracking.
Bellingham is not the only place that I have encountered the lack of curb cuts; there are many towns and cities that I have traveled to that have sidewalks that just end. This needs to change. I understand that there is a law that mandates the upgrading of sidewalks only when the road is being updated, but what about the sidewalks that still have not been updated since the law was put into action? Just because the road has not been updated should not mean sidewalks without curb cuts should sit without renovation for years while there are curb cuts being updated that are just fine. It would be amazing to go anywhere in the United States and not have to worry about something as simple as eight inches of concrete standing in my way in continuing on toward my destination.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The Solo School Cripple: Being Successful When No One Looked Like Me
I belong to a minority group that is one of the smallest minorities in the United States; along with approximately .6 percent of the US population, I am a wheelchair user. I have grown up in a community greatly lacking in people, especially mentors, that "look like me". I have never had a teacher that looks like me, not in elementary school, not in middle school, not in high school, and not in college.
There has never once been a time in the history of my elementary, middle nor high school career that there was an administrator, school counselor, secretary, school nurse, or coach that looked like me; it was not until my senior year in college that the DisAbilities Resources for Students (DRS) hired a counselor "who looked like me", and by this time, I was no longer in need of a mentor; I had made it though school, had formed my dreams and was (and still am) in the process of pursuing and achieving them.
There are not many people that surround me, in my daily life, that share the commonality of being in a wheelchair. Over the years, I have formed a community of fellow wheelchair users; however, we are spread out far and wide and not in each others' daily lives. I, on a daily basis, can see in passing up to about three people who are also in wheelchairs, but usually I am the only one. When I went to Western, it was possible to run across a couple more in one day, but there were only about six students in wheelchairs during my time there, and the campus is a small location. My final quarter at Western, I even had a class with another student who used a wheelchair.
When I was in grade school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair; when I was in middle school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair; and, up until my senior year in high school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair (with the exception of students who became injured and temporarily used one). I never knew an older student in a wheelchair who was in the Bellingham School District who I could talk to face to face.
So, to say my experience of seeing other students in wheelchairs in an academic setting was quite rare, is not exaggerating the truth; yes, this really has to do with there being so few of us, at least in the elementary, middle, and high school years. However, there only being ONE wheelchair user that could be considered a mentor during my nineteen years of schooling, would by other standards be unacceptable -- especially at the high school I went to.
When I attended Squalicum High School, there was a huge focus on hiring a diverse population of teachers, administrators and staff; this was to make sure students could go to someone "who looked like them", and would feel welcome. However, talk of hiring a person with a disability, let alone someone in a wheelchair -- never came into the conversation. This possibly had to do with there being too small of a population of us in wheelchairs to establish a need for hiring a person in a wheelchair. However, if a school is going to work so hard at helping one minority feel welcome and encourage them to be successful by hiring someone "who looks like them", then they need to do this for ALL minorities, even if it will only benefit a handful of students.
That said, I made it though the ranks without an academic mentor "who looked like me". I never found a mentor in the academic setting who totally got my exact needs and struggles, as they had not faced them firsthand. Never the less, I did come across many spectacular mentors who cared about me, who pushed me and helped me to become the best that I could be. I did not need a mentor who "looked like me", I needed mentors who looked at me as a person and took the time to invest in me.
So, to anyone who feels like no one gets you because your life is so different than anyone else's around you, stop pitying yourself; you are only making the situation -- you think to be so horrible --even worse. Realize that there are people around you who do care about you, even if they do not "look like you" or completely understand you. We all are people, but each and everyone of us is different; everyone is unique, and everyone has a different story full of unique -- and sometimes even terrible and hurtful -- experiences. So if you are struggling, let those around you who care help you be successful even if they may not completely understand you.
There has never once been a time in the history of my elementary, middle nor high school career that there was an administrator, school counselor, secretary, school nurse, or coach that looked like me; it was not until my senior year in college that the DisAbilities Resources for Students (DRS) hired a counselor "who looked like me", and by this time, I was no longer in need of a mentor; I had made it though school, had formed my dreams and was (and still am) in the process of pursuing and achieving them.
There are not many people that surround me, in my daily life, that share the commonality of being in a wheelchair. Over the years, I have formed a community of fellow wheelchair users; however, we are spread out far and wide and not in each others' daily lives. I, on a daily basis, can see in passing up to about three people who are also in wheelchairs, but usually I am the only one. When I went to Western, it was possible to run across a couple more in one day, but there were only about six students in wheelchairs during my time there, and the campus is a small location. My final quarter at Western, I even had a class with another student who used a wheelchair.
When I was in grade school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair; when I was in middle school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair; and, up until my senior year in high school, I was the only student who used a wheelchair (with the exception of students who became injured and temporarily used one). I never knew an older student in a wheelchair who was in the Bellingham School District who I could talk to face to face.
So, to say my experience of seeing other students in wheelchairs in an academic setting was quite rare, is not exaggerating the truth; yes, this really has to do with there being so few of us, at least in the elementary, middle, and high school years. However, there only being ONE wheelchair user that could be considered a mentor during my nineteen years of schooling, would by other standards be unacceptable -- especially at the high school I went to.
When I attended Squalicum High School, there was a huge focus on hiring a diverse population of teachers, administrators and staff; this was to make sure students could go to someone "who looked like them", and would feel welcome. However, talk of hiring a person with a disability, let alone someone in a wheelchair -- never came into the conversation. This possibly had to do with there being too small of a population of us in wheelchairs to establish a need for hiring a person in a wheelchair. However, if a school is going to work so hard at helping one minority feel welcome and encourage them to be successful by hiring someone "who looks like them", then they need to do this for ALL minorities, even if it will only benefit a handful of students.
That said, I made it though the ranks without an academic mentor "who looked like me". I never found a mentor in the academic setting who totally got my exact needs and struggles, as they had not faced them firsthand. Never the less, I did come across many spectacular mentors who cared about me, who pushed me and helped me to become the best that I could be. I did not need a mentor who "looked like me", I needed mentors who looked at me as a person and took the time to invest in me.
So, to anyone who feels like no one gets you because your life is so different than anyone else's around you, stop pitying yourself; you are only making the situation -- you think to be so horrible --even worse. Realize that there are people around you who do care about you, even if they do not "look like you" or completely understand you. We all are people, but each and everyone of us is different; everyone is unique, and everyone has a different story full of unique -- and sometimes even terrible and hurtful -- experiences. So if you are struggling, let those around you who care help you be successful even if they may not completely understand you.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Cripple Etiquette: Letting Common Vernacular Slide
I love being outdoors, love going on adventures, and love going for walks. As a person who is unable to drive a car, I rely heavily on my wheelchair to get me from place to place, so it is a good thing that I love being outside and going for walks.
One thing that I do not like, however, is when people correct me when I say, "I walked to the store," or "I took a walk through the park"; they reply with, "you mean you rolled." When saying this, they are one hundred percent serious when correcting me as if I do not know what I am talking about. It does not bother me if someone is being sarcastic and does not say it every time I mention that I walked somewhere.
The reason that it bothers me is that saying "I walked" is common vernacular. I am not oblivious to the fact that I cannot physically walk, but for me or anyone else who is unable to walk, saying, "I went for a walk," is a common way of describing travel; it is like a blind person saying, "I see," when expressing that they understand something, or just like a person who is not in a wheelchair saying, "I am on a roll," when expressing that they are in a rhythm when getting something done.
People focus too much on words, and not enough on their actions. Society needs to stop being nit-picky about language, but instead focus on how one treats others; if society begins treating people with dignity and respect, then one's language will follow. If society focuses on treating people with disabilities with equality, allowing those who are in wheelchairs to say, "I walked," there will no longer be an issue and it will not prompt people to feel like it is necessary to correct a person in a wheelchair when they share that they walked somewhere. If it is typical for a person to say, "I walked...," and if people with disabilities are people, then their language will naturally include words like walk in their vocabulary.
Those of us in wheelchairs are going to continue to use the word walk; and it is not that we do not understand that we physically roll from place to place, but that we are people and can use the same vernacular as everyone else around us. So please, do not correct a person in a wheelchair who says, "I walked...," or some version of that phrase and, please do not feel bad or change your language when talking about walking somewhere with a person in a wheelchair.
One thing that I do not like, however, is when people correct me when I say, "I walked to the store," or "I took a walk through the park"; they reply with, "you mean you rolled." When saying this, they are one hundred percent serious when correcting me as if I do not know what I am talking about. It does not bother me if someone is being sarcastic and does not say it every time I mention that I walked somewhere.
The reason that it bothers me is that saying "I walked" is common vernacular. I am not oblivious to the fact that I cannot physically walk, but for me or anyone else who is unable to walk, saying, "I went for a walk," is a common way of describing travel; it is like a blind person saying, "I see," when expressing that they understand something, or just like a person who is not in a wheelchair saying, "I am on a roll," when expressing that they are in a rhythm when getting something done.
People focus too much on words, and not enough on their actions. Society needs to stop being nit-picky about language, but instead focus on how one treats others; if society begins treating people with dignity and respect, then one's language will follow. If society focuses on treating people with disabilities with equality, allowing those who are in wheelchairs to say, "I walked," there will no longer be an issue and it will not prompt people to feel like it is necessary to correct a person in a wheelchair when they share that they walked somewhere. If it is typical for a person to say, "I walked...," and if people with disabilities are people, then their language will naturally include words like walk in their vocabulary.
Those of us in wheelchairs are going to continue to use the word walk; and it is not that we do not understand that we physically roll from place to place, but that we are people and can use the same vernacular as everyone else around us. So please, do not correct a person in a wheelchair who says, "I walked...," or some version of that phrase and, please do not feel bad or change your language when talking about walking somewhere with a person in a wheelchair.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
While on the Home Stretch: Final (Winter) Quarter Review
I have officially graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Political Science and Social Studies. On March 21st, I put on my cap and gown and rolled across the stage to shake President Shepard's hand and receive my diploma case. I could barely contain myself as I overflowed with excitement to have finished my time at Western.
This last quarter entailed only having to take three classes, reading and writing pages upon pages, and having the opportunity to sit on both the Disability Council and the newly created Fire Safety Action Plan Council.
I finished off my undergrad at Western by taking three diverse classes that I had the freedom of choosing as I had no requirements left other than to fulfill twelve more credits. All my professors complied with my accommodations and did so without objection. I did not have a large quantity of exams and quizzes to take in the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), but every exam was there when I arrived so I did not have to wait before I could start taking my test like I have in previous quarters. I did receive a scribe for every exam, but did not for every quiz; however, each quiz was only five multiple choice questions which I could circle and then have a DRS student employee bubble in my answers for me on the Scantron.
I also had another quarter of amazing notetakers. They were always there, always on time, and even though they all had different styles of note-taking, they all took fabulously detailed and organized notes. One of my notetakers showed her level of integrity when she had to resign from her position as she had received an amazing job opportunity that would interfere with her ability to continue taking notes for me. She explained the situation to me -- in advance-- and then in the following weeks she proceeded to find me a replacement notetaker to finish the quarter, and my notetaker did!
Having basically no glitches in my accommodations allowed me to experience a more typical quarter. I only had to worry about getting to class and doing my school work. I did not have to worry about if I was going to have a terrible note taker or whether they would show up; I did not have to worry about my test not showing up to the DRS or whether a scribe would be available so I could actually complete my test; I could just experience my time as a typical college student without having to fight for my necessary accommodations in order to be successful.
Since I only had three classes and all my accommodations were fulfilled, I had a little extra time on my hands. I was given the opportunity to sit on both the Disability Council and the Fire Safety Action Plan Council. I wanted to sit on the Disability Council for the previous five quarters at Western; however, it just so happened that every time I was invited to sit on the council, it interfered with one of my classes. Never the less, during my last quarter at Western, the times and dates of the Disability Council meetings were based around my schedule so that I could finally attend.
Now that I have sat on the Disability Council, I have a better idea as to why nothing ever gets accomplished with regards to accessibility on campus; there was so much discussion on what could and should be done, but no discussion of how to carry out and accomplish the abundance of ideas; there were even excuses (i.e. not enough funding) as to why things could not be done. The Disability Council did not seem to be professionally structured with an overall goal in mind. Everyone who sits on the Disability Council should have a similar desire of bettering the accessibility of all students, not just to an education, but to a successful education. This means that all students have the ability to access all the same places, have access to all the same classes, and easily access the necessary accommodations to allow the student the most successful experience possible. When an elevator is broken that is necessary for students to get to classes and to professor's offices -- even if it affects just a handful of students -- there should not be a question of whether fixing the elevator should be factored into the budget. If a student cannot access a class or a prof's office, this takes away equal access and an equal opportunity to succeed. This is not welcoming and this is discrimination.
The other committee that I sat on, the Fire Safety Action Plan Council, resulted from an unwelcoming experience. At the end of my final fall quarter, I ended up getting stuck on the sixth floor of Wilson Library with fire alarms wailing and the perception that the building was burning up. The floor warden expressed that she did not know the plan of action for what to do when assisting persons who cannot exit the building in a fire. I had addressed the issue of not being able to exit buildings during a potential fire two years prior and again a year prior, and had been told that there was an access plan that I was welcome to peruse. However, when the floor warden was unaware of the plan, I knew that either the plan had not been distributed and taught to the entire campus or there was not a plan at all; either way, students and employees were and continue to be put in danger. This experience lead to the Fire Safety Action Plan Council. The Vice Provost of the Equal Opportunities Office (EOO), the head of the DRS and I were the only three to sit on this council, but we were able to make great progress in creating not just a fire safety plan, but how to distribute it as well. The disappointing factor about this plan is it never went anywhere; after we had finished brainstorming, a copy was never finalized or distributed. I was told that I would be given a completed typed copy by March 1, but March 1, came and went. Twenty days later, I graduated and have yet to hear or check back.
I was so ready to be finished with my undergraduate degree and so happy that I finally could leave Western never having to return. Up until right before the deadline of signing up to take part in the commencement ceremony, I had no intention of participating, but changed my mind due to my family's hopes of getting to watch me walk across the stage. The commencement process is one that may never be completely "normal" for a person who uses a wheelchair. For one, all disabled students (at least at Western) are given the opportunity to come the day before the ceremony in order to complete a run-through. This first difference results from a difference that has to occur during the ceremony; as a person in a wheelchair, I had to travel a different way than everyone else to arrive at my designated spot as I could not fit between the rows of chairs set up for the graduates. This meant that I could not just follow the person ahead of me when we all entered the venue. Since I could not just follow the leader like everyone else, it was nice to have had the instructions as to which way I needed to go as to not end up embarrassing during the actual ceremony. Even though I knew which way to go and where to sit, I still felt self conscious since I had to leave the line of my fellow graduates and travel solo to my seat; it was obvious that I had been segregated out from my peers as I could not walk with them. I also did not have the chance to sit with anyone that I knew from my department as I had to leave them to get to my designated spot; as they filed in, they did not end up landing in the seats next to me, but elsewhere in the sea of black gowns. After I was handed my diploma case and the commencement ceremony ended, I left the premises with no intention of looking back.
Now that my time at Western has come to an end, I can see that I not only earned an education in Political Science that will help me find a job, but I gained life experiences that have broadened my perspective on people and life. All my trials and triumphs have made me a better advocate for not only for myself, but others as well.
This last quarter entailed only having to take three classes, reading and writing pages upon pages, and having the opportunity to sit on both the Disability Council and the newly created Fire Safety Action Plan Council.
I finished off my undergrad at Western by taking three diverse classes that I had the freedom of choosing as I had no requirements left other than to fulfill twelve more credits. All my professors complied with my accommodations and did so without objection. I did not have a large quantity of exams and quizzes to take in the DisAbility Resources for Students (DRS), but every exam was there when I arrived so I did not have to wait before I could start taking my test like I have in previous quarters. I did receive a scribe for every exam, but did not for every quiz; however, each quiz was only five multiple choice questions which I could circle and then have a DRS student employee bubble in my answers for me on the Scantron.
I also had another quarter of amazing notetakers. They were always there, always on time, and even though they all had different styles of note-taking, they all took fabulously detailed and organized notes. One of my notetakers showed her level of integrity when she had to resign from her position as she had received an amazing job opportunity that would interfere with her ability to continue taking notes for me. She explained the situation to me -- in advance-- and then in the following weeks she proceeded to find me a replacement notetaker to finish the quarter, and my notetaker did!
Having basically no glitches in my accommodations allowed me to experience a more typical quarter. I only had to worry about getting to class and doing my school work. I did not have to worry about if I was going to have a terrible note taker or whether they would show up; I did not have to worry about my test not showing up to the DRS or whether a scribe would be available so I could actually complete my test; I could just experience my time as a typical college student without having to fight for my necessary accommodations in order to be successful.
Since I only had three classes and all my accommodations were fulfilled, I had a little extra time on my hands. I was given the opportunity to sit on both the Disability Council and the Fire Safety Action Plan Council. I wanted to sit on the Disability Council for the previous five quarters at Western; however, it just so happened that every time I was invited to sit on the council, it interfered with one of my classes. Never the less, during my last quarter at Western, the times and dates of the Disability Council meetings were based around my schedule so that I could finally attend.
Now that I have sat on the Disability Council, I have a better idea as to why nothing ever gets accomplished with regards to accessibility on campus; there was so much discussion on what could and should be done, but no discussion of how to carry out and accomplish the abundance of ideas; there were even excuses (i.e. not enough funding) as to why things could not be done. The Disability Council did not seem to be professionally structured with an overall goal in mind. Everyone who sits on the Disability Council should have a similar desire of bettering the accessibility of all students, not just to an education, but to a successful education. This means that all students have the ability to access all the same places, have access to all the same classes, and easily access the necessary accommodations to allow the student the most successful experience possible. When an elevator is broken that is necessary for students to get to classes and to professor's offices -- even if it affects just a handful of students -- there should not be a question of whether fixing the elevator should be factored into the budget. If a student cannot access a class or a prof's office, this takes away equal access and an equal opportunity to succeed. This is not welcoming and this is discrimination.
The other committee that I sat on, the Fire Safety Action Plan Council, resulted from an unwelcoming experience. At the end of my final fall quarter, I ended up getting stuck on the sixth floor of Wilson Library with fire alarms wailing and the perception that the building was burning up. The floor warden expressed that she did not know the plan of action for what to do when assisting persons who cannot exit the building in a fire. I had addressed the issue of not being able to exit buildings during a potential fire two years prior and again a year prior, and had been told that there was an access plan that I was welcome to peruse. However, when the floor warden was unaware of the plan, I knew that either the plan had not been distributed and taught to the entire campus or there was not a plan at all; either way, students and employees were and continue to be put in danger. This experience lead to the Fire Safety Action Plan Council. The Vice Provost of the Equal Opportunities Office (EOO), the head of the DRS and I were the only three to sit on this council, but we were able to make great progress in creating not just a fire safety plan, but how to distribute it as well. The disappointing factor about this plan is it never went anywhere; after we had finished brainstorming, a copy was never finalized or distributed. I was told that I would be given a completed typed copy by March 1, but March 1, came and went. Twenty days later, I graduated and have yet to hear or check back.
I was so ready to be finished with my undergraduate degree and so happy that I finally could leave Western never having to return. Up until right before the deadline of signing up to take part in the commencement ceremony, I had no intention of participating, but changed my mind due to my family's hopes of getting to watch me walk across the stage. The commencement process is one that may never be completely "normal" for a person who uses a wheelchair. For one, all disabled students (at least at Western) are given the opportunity to come the day before the ceremony in order to complete a run-through. This first difference results from a difference that has to occur during the ceremony; as a person in a wheelchair, I had to travel a different way than everyone else to arrive at my designated spot as I could not fit between the rows of chairs set up for the graduates. This meant that I could not just follow the person ahead of me when we all entered the venue. Since I could not just follow the leader like everyone else, it was nice to have had the instructions as to which way I needed to go as to not end up embarrassing during the actual ceremony. Even though I knew which way to go and where to sit, I still felt self conscious since I had to leave the line of my fellow graduates and travel solo to my seat; it was obvious that I had been segregated out from my peers as I could not walk with them. I also did not have the chance to sit with anyone that I knew from my department as I had to leave them to get to my designated spot; as they filed in, they did not end up landing in the seats next to me, but elsewhere in the sea of black gowns. After I was handed my diploma case and the commencement ceremony ended, I left the premises with no intention of looking back.
Now that my time at Western has come to an end, I can see that I not only earned an education in Political Science that will help me find a job, but I gained life experiences that have broadened my perspective on people and life. All my trials and triumphs have made me a better advocate for not only for myself, but others as well.
The photo that my sister took of me and posted to Facebook. It features me smiling while holding my diploma case right under my chin. The diploma case is dark blue with the Western Washington University symbol printed in gold in the center. Under the symbol, the words "Western Washington University" are printed out in gold as well.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
When the Sidewlk Ends: Construction Edition
Well, it is that time of year again: the season of road construction! Jeff Foxworthy got it right when he expressed, "if you know the seasons to be almost Winter, Winter, still Winter, and road construction, you live in Washington." Bellingham, Washington does not fall short of this stereotypical description; we locals are never disappointed with the abundance of neon workers and the sound of jackhammers spread throughout the city.
The summer has now been in full swing for a while, and is beginning to wind down. However, road construction has been in full swing since the first dry day of the year, and as the summer has gone on, Bellingham has amped up the amount of construction zones that exist across the city. It seems as if more are added before one is complete creating the issue of encountering a construction site every time one ventures out. Downtown, one can even expect to come across three or four construction sites in a single outing.
When a road is upgraded, the sidewalks and curb cutouts have to be brought up to code. This is to ensure that curb cuts are accessible to all pedestrians. The ironic thing that arises during the time of construction is curb cutouts become blocked off or drilled up which makes it impossible for most wheelchair users to exit the sidewalk when needed; missing or blocked off curb cuts could also interfere with a blind person's way of travel.
This inconvenience for most people, can end up putting people with disabilities in danger, or end up forcing them to reroute their path on the spot. I am in no way saying that people with disabilities cannot innovate on their own and overcome the glitch in the sidewalk. However, I am suggesting that others educate themselves and not take away accessibility in the process of trying to improve it.
When road construction occurs in Bellingham, it seems as if a site will be set up, the curb cutouts will be blocked off or drilled up, and then the site will sit there, unoccupied by workers for a week or two. There is also a lack of posting on the sidewalk, so a person may not notice the needed curb cut is unavailable to them until they are approaching it. There is also not an online location to inform what the alternative route to take is before adventuring out; this can lead to a person getting stuck and having to improvise on the spot in order to get to their destination. I know that life is not perfect and I do not mind adventures that require improvising along the way, but time after time, when the only thing that is standing in the way of moving forward is eight inches of concrete can get frustrating.
As a person who does not drive a car, I rely heavily on using my wheelchair to get from place to place; I go on walks throughout Bellingham pretty much everyday. Recently, I have encountered multiple roadblocks in my travels. At the end of W. Holly Street, where it veers into Bay Street, there has been a construction site pretty much all summer. The curb cut out is blocked off with neon orange plastic netting. Never the less, I was impressed to find a makeshift "curb cutout". There is a bright orange board that has been placed up against the curb right before the original curb cutout. I was super excited that someone had the initiative to set up this alternative ramp. This is the first I have in countered and still the only one I have seen. The negative part of the innovation is that the ramp, and therefore where people cross, is not in the typical place which can be shocking to drivers. If a pedestrian pops out into the street where there is not a typical crosswalk, this may cause a driver to panic, which can in turn lead to an accident. Even so, I am grateful for this innovation. I am curious as to why this makeshift ramp is only at one intersection but not every other one. It is possible that it was set up by a private citizen rather than the city, but looks like it's up to code (the gradient and yellow bumps at end). So, thank you to whomever removed one roadblock from my life as well as others.
The summer has now been in full swing for a while, and is beginning to wind down. However, road construction has been in full swing since the first dry day of the year, and as the summer has gone on, Bellingham has amped up the amount of construction zones that exist across the city. It seems as if more are added before one is complete creating the issue of encountering a construction site every time one ventures out. Downtown, one can even expect to come across three or four construction sites in a single outing.
When a road is upgraded, the sidewalks and curb cutouts have to be brought up to code. This is to ensure that curb cuts are accessible to all pedestrians. The ironic thing that arises during the time of construction is curb cutouts become blocked off or drilled up which makes it impossible for most wheelchair users to exit the sidewalk when needed; missing or blocked off curb cuts could also interfere with a blind person's way of travel.
This inconvenience for most people, can end up putting people with disabilities in danger, or end up forcing them to reroute their path on the spot. I am in no way saying that people with disabilities cannot innovate on their own and overcome the glitch in the sidewalk. However, I am suggesting that others educate themselves and not take away accessibility in the process of trying to improve it.
When road construction occurs in Bellingham, it seems as if a site will be set up, the curb cutouts will be blocked off or drilled up, and then the site will sit there, unoccupied by workers for a week or two. There is also a lack of posting on the sidewalk, so a person may not notice the needed curb cut is unavailable to them until they are approaching it. There is also not an online location to inform what the alternative route to take is before adventuring out; this can lead to a person getting stuck and having to improvise on the spot in order to get to their destination. I know that life is not perfect and I do not mind adventures that require improvising along the way, but time after time, when the only thing that is standing in the way of moving forward is eight inches of concrete can get frustrating.
As a person who does not drive a car, I rely heavily on using my wheelchair to get from place to place; I go on walks throughout Bellingham pretty much everyday. Recently, I have encountered multiple roadblocks in my travels. At the end of W. Holly Street, where it veers into Bay Street, there has been a construction site pretty much all summer. The curb cut out is blocked off with neon orange plastic netting. Never the less, I was impressed to find a makeshift "curb cutout". There is a bright orange board that has been placed up against the curb right before the original curb cutout. I was super excited that someone had the initiative to set up this alternative ramp. This is the first I have in countered and still the only one I have seen. The negative part of the innovation is that the ramp, and therefore where people cross, is not in the typical place which can be shocking to drivers. If a pedestrian pops out into the street where there is not a typical crosswalk, this may cause a driver to panic, which can in turn lead to an accident. Even so, I am grateful for this innovation. I am curious as to why this makeshift ramp is only at one intersection but not every other one. It is possible that it was set up by a private citizen rather than the city, but looks like it's up to code (the gradient and yellow bumps at end). So, thank you to whomever removed one roadblock from my life as well as others.
Blocked off curb cut at the end of W. Holly. There is a curb cut with the yellow rectangle with the grid of bumps. The curb cut is blocked with an orange, plastic netting fence.
The makeshift curb cut. This curb cut has been constructed out of wood, and painted orange. It has the same yellow rectangle grid of bumps as a typical curb cut. This curb cut sticks out and leads right into the street. To the right of this wooden curb cut are two giant, orange cylindrical cones. Across the street, there is another yellow rectangle grid of bumps that leads to a pathway surrounded by an orange, plastic netting fence.
Not too far away from the makeshift curb cut, there are many drilled up curb cuts, therefore making them inaccessible. At the trailhead located at the intersection of Ohio and Ellis Street by Bellingham High School, all four of the curb cutouts have been torn out for over a week. When walking down the sidewalk away from Cornwall Avenue on the left side of the street, there is not a sign indicating that the curb cuts are out of commission. This forced me to backtrack and then exit the sidewalk via a driveway in order to cross the street and continue on my way. There is a sign suggesting that the sidewalk is closed on the right side of Ohio Street when walking away from Cornwall Avenue. Even though there is a sign, it is right where the curb cutout is blocked off rather than warning a pedestrian in advance. The sidewalk is also not closed, but rather just the curb cutouts.
This shows the intersection of Ohio and Ellis. On the right side of the photo sits a white sign that reads, "SIDEWALK CLOSED", in big, black capital letters. On the left side of the photo sits an orange sign that read, "DETOUR", in big, black, capital letters. About the word "DETOUR" is a black symbol of a person. Below the word "Detour" is a big, black arrow that points in the direction people are supposed to go. Right beyond the signs are curb cuts leading to crosswalks. These crosswalks are blocked off with yellow caution tape, and large, orange, cylindrical cones.
In order for curb cutouts to stay up to date, they do have to be out of commission for a small amount of time. However, in order to keep the amount of accessibility that already exists while improving it, there needs to be some innovations. There needs to be a webpage that allows all people to access the updated information about when and where construction will take place and suggest the best alternative accessible route. If possible, there should also be a makeshift ramp in place of the missing curb cutout; one may not be feasible if the entire side walk is chopped up too.
People know the ways they can go, as not every route is accessible; if their accessible path is blocked, then there is a wrench thrown into their travel plans. Communication is the key to solving many problems, including this one. People with disabilities need to report when and where there is a roadblock in their path and the city needs to listen and respond to suggestions in order to better the city for all people. The city also needs to inform the public of their plans in order to equal the ability for all people to travel from place to place. It would be amazing to go on a walk without having the sidewalk end.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion: Final Fall Quarter Review
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.
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.
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 …
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