Upon a recent walk through of the newly opened University Hall, it was encouraging to take note of some forward thinking steps taken to make our campus accessible for all of our students. For instance, the 80 seat auditoriums have wheelchair ramps at the bottom and top of the room to allow students more freedom to sit where they like. While this is a thoughtful gesture, it does little to address the more flagrant lapses in accessibility brought to our attention over the past few months.

A walk through of the remaining buildings on campus offers a stark contrast to the newest addition of the University. Moments after entering the Wheatley and McCormack academic buildings, students are confronted by the looming, heavy, and inaccessible fire doors. Behind the area dedicated to students organizations in the Campus Center, the single stall restrooms specifically built for accessibility have no push buttons to speak of. 

Outside of the academic buildings, there are even fewer accommodations made for the campus community.  The sidewalks are cracked, making it hazardous for students requiring wheelchairs and walkers to make it from class to class. And when we are hit with storms (much like last week) the lack of proper drainage causes the snow and ice to provide obstacles for hours.  The shuttles often do not pull up to the ramp in the curve, leaving students with disabilities to fend for themselves. The list goes on and on. 

 This is not the first time that lack of accommodations have been brought to the center of campus conversations. The Undergraduate Student Government passed a Resolution in the spring of 2013 to have the glass doors in the Campus Center wings propped open during normal business hours but there was no thorough follow through. Students on campus even formed a group, Access Praxis, to address the numerous issues that exist at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and yet the problems they identified have yet to be solved. 

Students are becoming increasingly frustrated with the inaction on issues of accessibility and inclusiveness regarding campus infrastructure, made especially apparent by the harsh weather we have recently experienced. That anger is not misplaced. In the coming weeks, the Undergraduate Student Government will be conducting an Accessibility Audit of all buildings on campus to determine what changes need to be made. We look forward to collaborating with campus administration to enact those changes both to address immediate concerns and to ensure a sustainable long term solution. The mission statement of this great public university reads: “Our vibrant, multicultural educational environment encourages our broadly diverse campus community to thrive and succeed.”  A truly accessible campus will allow those words to become a reality for all of UMass Boston’s students.

Kathleen Elliott, Student Body President

Ciro Castaldi, Student Body Vice President

Nolan M. O’Brien, Student Trustee