I broke my foot in Davis Library at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2023. The moment I realized, I began to cry — not because of the pain, but out of frustration. I immediately knew that my life was about to get a lot more inconvenient and exhausting.
At that point, I already had experience caring for my boyfriend, who broke his ankle on campus in February of 2022. I had seen how difficult living independently on this campus was for him during that period of time. However, I had no idea just how existentially exhausting having a mobility impairment on the Middlebury campus would be. My experience living with the challenges of physical impairment, as both patient and caregiver, leads me to call on the college to provide truly accessible living space and laundry services and to facilitate the movement around campus and lower the barriers to education equity for students with short-term and long-term motor impairments.
First, committing to having at least one shower that can accommodate a shower chair and an electric scooter on every floor of a dorm or in every house is imperative. Showering is one of the most difficult daily tasks for someone who is unable to stand, and shower chairs and electric scooters are often needed to make the task possible without risking re-injury. However, most Middlebury showers, whether in Stewart Hall, Gifford Hall or the Atwater suites, cannot comfortably fit a shower chair. Sometimes, the proposed solution is having students move to other floors or buildings with accessible bathrooms. However, moving one’s belongings while injured could risk further injury, in addition to the inconvenience.
Second, the college should commit to having truly accessible laundry facilities in every single building that houses students. I currently live in a small house without laundry services. While my foot was broken, I had to rely on my boyfriend to do my laundry for me. While he had a broken ankle, even though his dorm had laundry, it was not ADA-accessible, and I had to transport his laundry for him. We were lucky to have had each other for help with these tasks. However, a lot of students don’t have friends or partners who can do essential, yet time-consuming tasks like laundry for them. Attempting to carry laundry long distances while on crutches, on a scooter or in a brace can be difficult or dangerous, if not outright impossible.
Building truly accessible laundry facilities in all student housing would allow those with physical impairments to maintain their independence. If installing laundry facilities in all buildings is logistically impossible for the College, the least it can do is increase funding for the Disability Resource Center (DRC) so that it can offer school-subsidized Middlebury Wash and Carry services for those who face an unreasonable physical burden around doing their own laundry.
Third, the college should commit to increasing the number of accessible parking spots near academic buildings and dining halls. While recovering from my injury, I noticed that many students in my situation (myself included) get to class by driving. However, this fall and winter, the number of students with accessibility parking permits from the DRC far exceeded the number of available spots, especially near BiHall, Ross and Proctor. I was often late to class because I had to park farther away from academic buildings than anticipated and then crutch up to the accessible entrance. Once, I was even forced to park on the circle of grass outside the BiHall first floor entrance because all of the accessible spots were occupied. Every time I drove myself somewhere to go to class or get food, I was worried that I would be unable to find a parking spot or would have to park somewhere illegally, risking a ticket. This made leaving my house more taxing –– both physically and psychologically –– than it ever should be. Increasing the number of ADA spots would mitigate this problem.
Fourth, Middlebury must commit to better maintenance of campus walkways. It goes without saying that many offices on campus are understaffed, including facilities. As a result, winter walkways are often left unsalted and icy, which is hazardous for people on crutches or knee scooters as well as fully able-bodied people. Walkways are also unevenly paved in some spots, which makes it very uncomfortable to roll over in a scooter and a tripping hazard for those on crutches or wearing braces. Replacing and properly maintaining uneven pavement would make it both easier for those with mobility impairments to get around campus while also reducing the amount of injuries in the first place.
Lastly, Middlebury must provide technology in every classroom to let students Zoom into class. There were occasions where I could not make it to class because of weather conditions or my pain level, and I requested that professors Zoom me in. However, many of them told me that this was not possible due to a lack of necessary equipment. A system which pushes students to come to class when it is dangerous or painful to do so and punishes them academically if they don’t is unacceptable. Updating every classroom with the necessary Zoom technology would ensure that no student misses class due to factors out of their control.
My ankle has since healed and I can once again live independently. During this time, the DRC was an invaluable resource, and I want to thank them for all of the work that they do in making the lives of the most vulnerable students on campus more manageable. However, the improvements that I call for address physical and structural barriers on campus that are beyond the capacity of the DRC to resolve.
Middlebury as an institution must do better to make its living and educational experience truly accessible, especially for those who are physically impaired, whether temporarily or permanently.
