Mercer University Ill-Equipped to Handle Disabled Students

A new class offered this semester under the PLS (Programs in Leadership and Service) umbrella is PLS 322. I am not going to get into a complete discussion of the class details, since there is an article about that in this issue. However, I will explain one detail of the course, and that is the case study of an actual handicapped individual. In my opinion, the ultimate goal of the course to realize that our society is ill equipped with assisting these individuals and their disabilities.
I met with Tina Hopper, a Macon resident who was born with Spina bifida. She has used a manual wheelchair her whole life and grew up in Macon. She did not have much to complain about, for she feels fortunate that she has been able to adapt with her disability. In speaking with her, I learned that I take too much for granted, such as simply walking around. We neglect to understand the difficulties that a handicapped individual has.
For instance, Tina uses a manual wheelchair. She had several concerns. One is the swinging of doors. If the door revolves or opens automatically, then there is no problem. However, when a door is put in that requires pushing or pulling to open, the architects who design these “normal” doors are ignorant of the troubles that face wheelchair-bound individuals. According to Tina, when a door must be pulled outwards, it is much easier to get in and out of, but as soon as there is a door that must be pushed open, the ability to both turn the wheels of the wheelchair and push the door open is needed. I could not help but notice that most doors on campus require a door to be pulled open.
She also mentioned the sidewalk and curb problem. Now, most of us would not realize that the sloping curbs for handicap access are neither uniform nor maintained well. These sloping sidewalks are designed to be visually appealing, and the handicap accessible curbs are just put in there. Once installed and built, the curbs are forgotten for the most part. Proper maintenance is forgotten at the point where the slope meets the street. Over time, this point will erode and lose it smooth surface. The crack can stop someone in a manual wheelchair from moving due to smaller front wheels being lodged in it.
This situation is prone to cause accidents. Walking around by Stetson and Tarver Library, I could not help but see how poor the handicap access curbs are maintained. I saw how hard it is for someone to get into our buildings as well, especially those with the doors opening in an unaccommodating way. While Mercer has several places on campus that are accessible, such as the UC, Mercer still has a far way to go in regards to this issue.
The UC might have that tough hill to climb in the front, which is accessible in a power chair, but the back entrance nearer the Box Office is rather easy to get into for all handicapped peoples. This is very different from the inability for a student [who cannot walk] to get to the Registrar’s office. There are stairs to the area, no elevator, and no true handicapped access. When a campus is not accessible to everyone who wants to attend, then something must be done. In essence, students, speak up! Talk to the administration about this issue. If you feel strongly, I urge you to have your voice heard, for it is the only way that those who are disabled will be able to get their ideas across.