Handi-capable

     Let’s start out with saying that North Georgia, as a whole, is not very friendly to those with disabilities especially to those who require crutches or a wheel chair. All the hills and stairs around campus are enough to tire out the physically elite and exhausting to everyone else. One of my friends with a bum knee was on crutches and I drove her to class because crutching along was a workout. What added to it was that most places are accessible by stairs. You have to go out of your way for a ramp or some kind of non-stair entrance. Is campus that bad for the disabled? Well let’s look at my average day.

     As crazy as it sounds even getting in and out of my dorm would be a hassle. I live on the third floor and could take the elevator to ground floor no problem, getting back up is the tricky part. The door I would leave from only opens from the inside. All the other doors, with the exception of one, open at the first floor for half the building, the half I am not on. My dorm is set up weird but basically at minimum I would have to travel up or down a half flight of stairs to get to an elevator that would bring me to my room. All that said only half of the possible routes to my dorm are accessible. These routes are not the most direct in most circumstances either causing people with limitations to travel further. My classes are in three academic buildings. One is easily accessible, one is highly inconvenient, and I am currently unaware of how someone in a wheelchair could enter the last building. These are not social areas of convenience, classes are held here. How can you take a class if you cannot get in the classroom?

     I feel like I am getting a little worked up. I never noticed these problems until I had to and to me that is a huge problem. Sure the argument can be made that at least special arrangements are being made, but they are restrictive. If I were disabled I would not go to this university. And while it’s is not all the university’s fault (i.e. the campus is extremely hilly)I do not think that there has been enough effort made to make sure disabled people can be free to pursue what they wish.