In 2002-2003, there was a bond issue of $80 million to update and bring the buildings into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as adress many of the issues faced by the disabled students on campus.
Many of those issues have been addressed, according to Chris Addington, interim executive director of Construction and Facilities Planning. “Seating at the stadium has been started and is almost completed. There is a ramp to allow disabled access from the field house to the practice field. The disabled can have access to the second floor of the Science and Technology building, because an elevator has been added.”
Addington said that the planetarium will have access seating for the disabled, and upgraded parking will be completed this summer. Accessibility elevators will be added to all buildings to provide access to all floors, and there is a plan to provide disabled access to the baseball and softball fields as well as restrooms, and the Outdoor Theater is being looked at for disabled accessibility.
“There are ADA issues being prioritized by Sally Swanson Architects to determine which areas need adjustments to meet ADA compliance, and we are looking at five to seven years to complete the accessibility project,” said Addington.
Angelica Gomez, director of Supportive Services, said, “I’m not familiar with the funding that is available, but I am concerned and have shared my concerns with the safety coordinator and campus police of the problems disabled students are facing on campus.
“There are highly used buildings, such as the Health Center and restrooms, without automatic doors, and the classrooms aren’t accessible, unless the disabled have help. There is no Emergency Evacuation Plan for the mobility limited and all students. These limitations are the responsibility of the entire campus. I’m eager to learn how much of Measure G is set aside to address the need of accessibility.”
The work of accessibility is in progress, but there is no date of completion in sight. According to William Andrews, president of BC, “there is an outside consultant, Sally Swanson Architects, actively surveying the needs of accessibility, although there is not a target date for completion. The buildings on this campus are old. Some of the problems are known, and some are only known if bought to my attention.”
Some of the disabled students are frustrated. According to BC student Enrique Martinez, “I plan to have a talk with the president. I’m sitting pretty low in my wheelchair when traveling from class to class through the parking lots. I’m afraid I might get hit by a driver. There needs to be a ramp built to the Adaptive PE class.”
There was an assumption that the elevators were maintained and always in working order.
According to student Les Birdsell, “I was surprised to be stuck on the second floor of building 1LA for two hours, because of an elevator malfunction, and later being rescued by the Fire Department.”