Special Edition Spring 2022: Care For the Dear Neighbor?
Accessibility and ableism on campus
St. Catherine University was founded upon the principles of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. One of these principles, the love and care for the dear neighbor without distinction, is still central to the values of this university. However, some students are left behind.
About 12.8 percent of students at St. Kate’s have accommodations, whether it be for mental illness or physical disability, according to Julie Olson Rand, director of the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations.
While our campus is beautiful, it poses challenges for those with mobility aids like wheelchairs and canes. Dew Drop Pond, one of the most popular places on campus, is hard to access for those with disabilities. The gravel path makes it almost impossible for those with mobility devices to travel to the pond. In addition, much of the blacktop in front of the Coeur de Catherine (CdC) has potholes, which can cause the wheels on wheelchairs to get stuck and possibly get damaged.
The majority of the academic buildings pose issues for those with disabilities. Mendel Hall is one of the biggest of these obstacles. Mendel has numerous flights of stairs. Shockingly, to access the elevator, one must go up stairs to use it from the main entrance. There is an accessible entrance, but it’s hidden and has a small sign that is hard to see unless one is looking for it.
Fontbonne Hall is similar to Mendel in that it has many steep staircases and it’s difficult to find the accessible entrances. The entrance facing the CdC is accessible, but there are stairs going down just inside the door on the left side, which could be a falling hazard. The second accessible entrance is hidden in the small path between the Butler Center and Fontbonne. With both of these entrances, it is a maze in order to find the nearest elevator. Like Mendel, there are signs posted on the walls, but these can easily be missed.
The Speech Building is another concern for people with disabilities. The one entrance has steep, narrow stairs. The only choice for those who need the elevator is to go to the accessible entrance at the end of the Music Building. Then, one must travel through the Music Building, down and through the ASL Department and then through the narrow labyrinth of the Speech Building that leads to the Communication Studies Department.
The residence halls have barriers too. Stanton and Crandall do not have elevators. St. Mary’s Hall has its own issues: The elevator is hidden behind card access. While Rauenhorst and Morrison are more accessible, they are also more expensive.
Though there are many physical barriers, there are resources on campus that are here to help with accessibility. One of these resources is the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations, which is a new office separate from the O’Neill Center, our campus center for tutoring. The Office of Accessibility and Accommodations provides a wide range of accommodations, whether the need is due to a learning disability, mental illness, physical disability or injury. “There are many avenues,” stated Rand.
Maeve McDevitt '23 (English) is hard of hearing and requires ASL interpreting. McDevitt's personal experience at St. Kate's concerning accessibility has been good, but she has noticed that there are issues for those with other disabilities.
McDevitt acknowledges that the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations, “wants to do more, but there are roadblocks.” Getting interpreting is difficult. Not all university events have interpreting and it isn’t even available on the weekends.
Unfortunately, these needs and accommodations aren’t always met with compassion. People with disabilities at St. Kate’s say they have experienced ableism from faculty and staff. In McDevitt's experience, a few members of faculty have not taken her interpreting requests seriously.
Another student, Kat Hage ‘22 (English), has ADHD-based accommodations in their classes. The one issue that Hage has run into is response time to assignment extension emails. “Their response time isn’t the best,” explained Hage. A delay in response time to these requests causes stress that is out of students control. In addition, the University’s website is hard to navigate. “It takes so much time to find forms, especially on the Registrar page,” Hage said.
With all of these issues, where should the university start to improve accessibility on campus? For McDevitt, it begins with better education and diversity training for staff and faculty that includes people with disabilities. “It’s not addressed enough on campus,” McDevitt states. Outside of the American Sign Language (ASL) Department, disabilities aren’t discussed in academia.
Increased awareness of students with disabilities and knowing what can hinder their experience at St. Kate’s is the first step to change and better accessibility in our community. The university administration should be listening to these valid concerns and once they do, they’ll be able to ensure that students’ concerns are heard and solutions implemented.
