STAFF EDITORIAL

Author: [no author name found]

A Vote for Universal Accessibility

As the time nears for the Class of 2002 to graduate, members of the Senior Class Gift Committee have formed a list of potential gifts to leave Middlebury College once they move on. Gifts in the past have included clocks, benches and endowed scholarships, but this year the scope has expanded, and the committee hopes to raise money to set up an appropriation fund that will make the campus more accessible to the physically handicapped.

While the number of physically handicapped students is small, this is not an adequate explanation for the lack of universal accessibility on campus. Middlebury is a year-round institution, catering to men and women with disabilities who attend the Summer Language Schools and visitors who come to the College throughout year. For them, entering many of Middlebury's existing facilities is the first and most basic challenge they confront. This is largely because many College buildings do not have wheelchair ramps or lifts, mechanically opening doors or even doors that allow for the unrestricted passage of wheelchairs. Similar inadequacies exist inside, with some buildings lacking elevators, lifts that move up stairs and sufficient space for the physically handicapped to position themselves while attending classes or lectures. These are just a few of the issues that create unequal access to areas where College courses, activities and social events take place, making it difficult for the physically handicapped to take full advantage of a Middlebury education or other College events.

Improving building accessibility would not only benefit physically handicapped students and visitors. Injured students, faculty and staff are also put at a disadvantage. Difficulties faced by this group and the physically handicapped are exacerbated by winter conditions that further hamper mobility around campus. Middlebury College should ensure that all of its buildings are universally accessible — at all times of the year, winter or summer, cold or warm.

The senior class has made great strides in bringing this issue to the forefront of campus life. The gift, if approved by members of the Class of 2002, would include installing a lift in the Natatorium and acquiring entrance ramps for the academic interest houses and Forest Hall, which houses the Dean of Student Affairs Office. The proposal would also make entrances to Bicentennial Hall and Twilight Hall uniform in size. These projects would undoubtedly be very expensive, and so to offset some of the costs the Committee hopes to have a Middlebury parent, alumnus or a corporation match the amount raised by the senior class.

But should it be up to the senior class to take the lead in promoting handicapped accessibility on campus? Such concerns have not figured prominently in the plans for the College's newest buildings, and despite many renovation projects in the past few years, present facilities remain inadequate. With the amount of money designated for new building projects, upgrading existing facilities and making sure that the new ones are accessible should be a key priority.

If Middlebury College wants to attract the most diverse student population possible, accommodating all types of students is necessary. More importantly, for the College to be a welcome place for all who visit, ensuring that everyone can enter all buildings is a crucial step.

The suggestion of the Senior Class Gift Committee is an excellent one and members of the Class of 2002 should select funding expanded handicapped-accessibility as their gift to the College. But the College must then pick up what the Committee has begun in implementing long-lasting change to provide universal access.