As the double cohort floods the University of Toronto with students, one might take notice of the low number of disabled people among them. This deficiency is not due to a lack of disabled students with high grades, instead, the problem lies with inaccessibility in and around our campuses, say critics.
As with any goal, there are obstacles present, which hinder U of T’s progress in attaining the ideal, barrier-free campus. First, the availability of adequate funding is a key issue. There are competing demands for all funds, which are also needed to address the double cohort, increase student study space, attend to safety hazards such as asbestos and PCB removal and much more.
Vice Provost of Space and Facilities Planning Ron Venter explains ” each case must be assessed on it’s individual merits,” because “All have value, but what might help more persons is certainly a factor.
“For example, a project that can expand accessibility, is the Med. Sci. building, an improvement that can benefit many users and might only cost $100,000. Another project might cost $500,000 and only gets the wheelchair onto the first floor level.”
This, however, has not deterred groups such as the Standing Committee on Barrier Free Access, chaired by Susan Addario, from making progress. In the Report of the Standing Committee, which is submitted annually to the Governing Council for approval, the current Capital Plan of the University allotted $750-850 million for increasing accessibility on all three campuses between 1990 and 2006. Included in this is the construction of new facilities, as well as washroom, elevator and power door innovations.
The second roadblock U of T faces is renovating its traditional heritage buildings, in which many tutorials, lectures and student service programs are held. Although the university is trying to solve this dilemma, it is a main reason why so many buildings, Awards and Admissions for example, remain inaccessible. To help disabled students cope under these circumstances, lectures and tutorials scheduled in unsuitable rooms are changed to meet their needs. Students are also encouraged to register early with the Accessibility Service, whose staff can identify problematic locations in advance.
U of T is not the only post-secondary institution combating campus accessibility issues. Other universities, such as Carleton in Ottawa, are also implementing services for the disabled. Carleton has developed a pilot program, in place since 1987, for the first fully accessible residences, accompanied by attendant caregivers who work with the disabled students to meet their needs day and night.
Since the care givers are also Carleton students, it provides able-bodied scholars with well-paying, on-campus jobs, while enabling disabled people to enjoy and explore the full university experience with equal opportunities as their peers, free of charge.
Matthew Cole, executive director of Carleton University Attendant Services, says, “This program is running very smoothly, we believe, based on feedback from clients who have moved into the community, the level of service we provide is unsurpassed.” Although Carleton doesn’t face the same construction hurdles as U of T, as it is a much younger university (60 years old), it is a prime example of what can be done.
Cole proudly states “We took the barrier-free model as a starting point and made dozens of improvements.” These improvements include underground access tunnels to all buildings, roll-under sinks, automatic doors and much more.
Thousands of disabled students graduate high school every year, in search of a university that can best meet their needs. Last year on the St. George campus alone over 1,000 students registered with the Accessibility Service, a number that will only continue to grow as disabled integration in the greater populace increases. While this number shows that it is possible for handicapped people to enjoy an education at U of T, it remains one of the restrictions.
Venter states, “we may never get there, as the definition and requirements will continue to change, but this should not stop us from trying to achieve the ultimate accessible campus.”
