Students Request Accessibility at MU
Tanner Edge
For the most part, Manchester University is a fairly easy campus to get around. The majority of the buildings on the campus are handicap accessible and have some sort of ramp or elevator for students with injuries. But this isn’t always the case.
As some people can imagine, this is a frustrating matter for students at Manchester University. “First of all there are no elevators in Garver, Schwalm, East, the PERC or the East Street Apartments,” said Mark Osmialowski, a currently injured student athlete who resides in Garver Hall. Osmialowski broke his foot playing football. He underwent surgery and had to use crutches. This made normal activities harder than usual due to his circumstances. “The stairs are narrow, so a lot of students get impatient,” he said. “I think it is a hazard to crutch up the stairs because you can lose your balance either forward or backward.”
Many students try to be courteous and helpful to their injured peers. “I try to help them out,” said first-year Evan Romie. “Just open a door or grab a tray for whoever it is if they aren’t able to.” Being helpful toward others doesn’t solve the mobility issues on campus completely, though. “Updating the residence halls, the PERC and the East Street Apartments would be the most effective way to help out injured students,” Romie added. “It’s too bad I don’t have the power to fix that issue, but maybe something will be done in the future.”
However, making these buildings more accessible is a costly process. It isn’t an overnight fix by any means.
If injured and need help getting from place to place on campus, be sure to refer to a course syllabus that includes instructions and contact information to those who can help. Another useful resource is the Health Services tab on Manchester University’s website, which has information about how the university can accommodate an individual with an injury.