Courtesy of Ivan S / Pexels
By Dana Little
A Perspective
Ever wonder why there are so few students using wheelchairs at Southwestern College?
Because it is hard.
I know firsthand. I am a cerebral palsy patient who uses a wheelchair to attend college. I got stories. Good, bad and ugly.
THE GOOD
Attending Southwestern College in a wheelchair can be as dangerous as crossing a freeway on a unicycle. During my first year at SWC I had just finished an afternoon class on a rainy day. I was rolling to the bus stop in a crowd of students when one accidentally bumped into me. I stumbled out of my wheelchair and hard onto the concrete. I nearly went into shock from the pain.
Two very considerate students helped me back into my chair. They saw I was in pain and stayed with me until I felt calm enough to take the bus home. I never learned their names and remain thankful they took the time to help me.
THE BAD
College life for folks like me can be physically and emotionally challenging. I have to advocate for myself and others in my position.
I had a very bad experience with a history professor. He seemed to resent my presence and I was treated unfairly. My efforts to advocate for myself were unsuccessful. The emotional stress was unbearable. I began to doubt that I would be able to complete college.
THE UGLY
Nothing is more disappointing for a disabled student than to be mistreated by people who are supposed to be your allies. That has also happened to me on this campus. It must be easy for some people to not see the small Black cerebral palsy girl in the wheelchair. Basic manners and common courtesy vanish. It is a confusing and depressing feeling when the so-called professionals on a college campus who are paid to help people in my situation are disrespectful and hurtful.
LONG AND WINDING ROAD
Being disabled and going to college while using a wheelchair requires a lot of adjustments. Sometimes I have to just take a deep breath and look the other way. Sometimes there are moments of grace and human beauty. It is also good to know that I am not entirely alone.
Southwestern College wheelchair user Lowell Chipman advocates for better wheelchair accessibility on our campus. Wheelchair-safe entrances and exits are dangerous or absent, he said. Not all buildings are accessible.
“In the end, wheelchair accessibility is not just more accessibility to people in wheelchairs,” he said. “It’s universal accessibility to anyone who has any sort of disability related to physical movement. (The college must) improve wheelchair accessibility from parking lots to all points on campus. We need wider entrances.”
Veterans Services Assistant Bryant Rogers agreed.
“(Improved) wheelchair accessibility is an absolute necessity,” he said. “Wheelchair accessibility should be something expected in all buildings. We try consciously to have that, but work remains.”
Rogers said there are places on campus and in society where wheelchair users cannot go. Barriers include door handles that are too high, doors that are too heavy, corners with no room for turns, steep angles and things in the way.
“(Accessibility) should be everywhere that people do business,” he said. “No place should be treated as more important than others.”
Southwestern College needs wider entrances, better railing and plentiful electrical wheelchair charging stations, Rogers said. He also called for adaptive college sports for disabled students.
“(Equity and fairness) are the things that makes this country great,” he said. “The freedom to move about and opportunities that can be accessed.”
Wheelchair users rarely see their abilities celebrated, Rogers said. He called upon Southwestern College to put more thought into elevating its wheelchair users.
“It’d be great encouragement,” he said. “Equality is everything. Allowing people the opportunity to fulfill dreams and live without limits.”
Rogers said he appreciates the support Southwestern College provides for veterans.
“As a veteran diagnosed with PTSD I (can) converse with veterans who have the same disorders,” he said. “I remind students that we have a program to help bridge the gap with your disability. That extra bit of care and attention to detail is necessary for our success.”
Aurelia Spears said wheelchair users are more than their disability – they are people. She said she is not always treated that way at Southwestern College or in the community.
“Wheelchair accessibility is for everyone,” she said sternly. “If anyone thinks otherwise, they can get lost!”
Dr. Sylvia Garcia-Navarette, Department Chair of Reading and Writing, agreed, though a bit more diplomatically.
“Our classrooms should have accessible pathways for folks to sit wherever they desire,” she said. “No one wants to feel ‘othered.’ I want students to feel included. I want them to feel a part of the learning experience.”
Students with disabilities deserve and should expect a well-rounded education, she said. Physical problems with campus infrastructure are barriers to that mission, she said.
“Our campus needs more ramps,” she said. “Parking lots can be dangerous for those using wheelchairs. We need additional stop signs and lighted crosswalks.”
Professor of Business Kevin Alston agreed. He also called upon college personnel to reexamine how we look at disabled students. Alston said his autistic son had a profoundly positive life-altering experience when he received the opportunity to perform in a campus theater production. He said the college should have more adaptive sports offerings, including teams.
Professors Garcia-Navarette, Alston and others get it. There is more to disability rights than wheelchair accessibility. It is also about compassion and respect. It is about how you treat those who are different. Treat them as if they’re family, with kindness and compassion and respect. We need to dial back the pity and crank up the humanity.
Even though we may be different, we’re so much the same. We are humans seeking a bright future.
