Design for Accessibility: CS 584 at Emory University
Emory is in my opinion, one of the most accessible campuses I’ve been on. However, there are still improvements to be made.
My typical day begins by walking from my apartment in Clairmont Reserve to the Starvine Deck. The immediate problem is that Clairmont Reserve Apartments do not have accessible paths for some units. I live on the top floor, and there are no elevators. I have to walk down the stairs to get out of my house.
Next comes my walk to the Starvine Deck of Emory University. It's a 7-minute walk which is completely wheelchair accessible.
However, the walk annotated above is mostly uphill so it might be a bit strenuous for a wheelchair user. Once I reach Starvine Deck (point B), I get on Route C to get to the Atlanta campus.
These shuttles are accessible and have ramps that a wheelchair user can use. The bus then takes me on the below route from Starvine Deck to Woodruff Transit Circle.
Once I get down at Woodruff, I walk toward my Math and Science Center or Whitehall classes depending on the day. For this blog post, I am using a typical Tuesday as my example, so I walked to Whitehall to attend CS584 by Dr. Wall. This walk takes me about 8-10 minutes depending on the crowd.
I would say this is an easy walk, with mostly flat surfaces, but the problem comes when we get to White Hall. If one comes to White Hall from the way outlined above, they will see the following:
This does not have any clear indications regarding an accessible route. To the right of this staircase, there are even more stairs as seen in the image. I, therefore, went left in search of an accessible route. I came across the entrance to Whitehall from Quad, which was on level ground as shown here.
However, there are even more stairs after entering the building from these doors.
There is a pathway here which leads to a ramp, but it does not have the best visibility. I had to ask a student if she knew any accessible routes into White Hall, and she pointed out the ramp to me, which I noticed for the first time in 6 months!
Once I enter White Hall, I can use the elevators to switch floors and get to the classroom. After the class, I go to Dobbs for a light lunch. I mostly retrace my steps to the student center, and the way is even and can be accessed in a wheelchair. Once I enter the student center, I see electric doors which can be opened using a button for wheelchair users.
I usually exit DCT from the back doors, which are not powered! It would be nice if they replaced the current doors with electric doors at the DCT back exit.
After my lunch, I usually play badminton with a friend in WoodPec, which is right across the street. I did feel that the entrance to WoodPec (the one where you have to scan your card) is a bit narrow for a wheelchair, but I could not test/measure that. I then take a shower in the changing rooms, and then leave for my house.
Overall, I come across 3 potential improvements for achieving better accessibility in my daily routine.
- Adding an elevator in Clairmont Reserve Apartments
- Adding ramps/more visible accessibility paths in white hall
- Making DCT exit doors powered.
Here is a full map of my average Tuesday routine.
- A: My House
- B: Starvine Deck
- C: Woodruff Transit Hub
- D: Whitehall
- E: Student Center and WoodPec
Other buildings I have noticed that have bad accessibility but I don't visit everyday:
- Oxford Building — Only accessible by stairs unless you take an extremely long detour through Emory Village
- Campus Life Pavillion — Does not have a ramp, only stairs.
- Student Health Services — No ramp/elevator, only stairs. But I have been here only once so I might not know about an accessible route.
On the other hand, some buildings with excellent accessibility are:
- Emory Student Center — except the first floor restrooms which are not powered.
- Chemistry Building
- Business School
- Woodruff Research Memorial
