Abstract
This scenario focuses on the experience of Alice, a woman of color, as she navigates the personal and political issues at play with the planning team, she is a part of for a new building on campus. As a student with accommodations related to her Crohn’s disease and a student leader with an accessibility student organization on campus, Alice has been invited to share her perspective on a new Academic Success Center that will also house the Accessibility Resources office. Alice’s identities related to race, gender, and ability are further complicated by her position as a student on a committee of primarily faculty and administrators. Alice must navigate what she sees as necessary to an accessible facility with the ways in which her power and privilege are limited in the context of planning discussions.
Keywords: Race, Gender, Ability, Accessibility, Women / Womyn of Color
Characters
Alice Bishop (she, her, hers) – African-American woman; junior; has Crohn’s disease; VP of Access for All (accessibility student organization)
Ms. Clark (she, her, hers) – white woman; architect
Dr. Donovan (she, her, hers) white woman; faculty member; uses a wheelchair; vocal about accessibility on campus
Dr. Edens (he, him, his) white man; Director of Academic Success Center; Ms. Fleming’s supervisor
Ms. Fleming (she, her, hers) white woman; Coordinator of Accessibility Services
Franklin Gordon (he, him, his) white man; senior; President of the Student Body
Hannah Izaak (she, they) white woman, senior; President of Access for All; vision impairment
Introduction
Alice is an African American woman currently in her junior year of college. Alice has Crohn’s disease that is generally manageable, but as a result of the inflammation Crohn’s causes to her gastrointestinal system, she does occasionally suffer from abdominal pain and significant digestive issues. Alice has built strong connections with the staff in the Office of Accessibility Resources at Southern State College (SSC) to get her accommodations needs met in housing. As an example, she needs a room that has its own bathroom, so she has a single room in a suite-style building. Additionally, she has worked with SSC staff to draft communication to her faculty that convey her situation in a way that she is comfortable with that explains her needs in the classroom and during testing if she has symptoms that need to be managed.
By means of support from the office, Alice has gotten information about and has begun educating herself on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. She wants to be as informed as possible. As the Vice President of Access for All – a student organization advocating and educating around disability issues on campus – she was invited to be a part of a building planning committee for a new Academic Success Center that will also house Accessibility Resources.
Context
The other members of the planning team include Ms. Clark from the architectural firm designing the building, Dr. Donavan a faculty member who uses a wheelchair and who has been vocal about accessibility issues on campus, Dr. Edens (the Director of the Academic Success Center, and Ms. Fleming the Coordinator of Accessibility Services (who reports to Dr. Edens). In addition to Alice, there are two other students on the search committee – Franklin the President of the Government of the Student Body (who does not identify as having a disability), and Hannah Izaak a senior and the President of Access for All who has a vision impairment. Alice is the only person on the committee who does not identify as White. Alice, Hannah, and Dr. Donovan are the only members of the committee with disabilities.
At the first meeting, the architects ask the committee members to identify their primary wants and needs for the new building. The committee develops a list that includes the following:
- Step-free access into the building at all entry points and door openers at all doors for students, staff, faculty, and guests with mobility issues
- No stairs, but ramps throughout the building and at every entrance of the building again for building users with mobility issues
- Large elevators to accommodate differently-abled students
- High quality HEPA air filtration system in the HVAC for the building to minimize allergens
- Adjustable tables, chairs, etc. – to be raised and lowered as needed depending on user needs
- Space to move furnishings, movable wall partitions to convert small meeting rooms into larger lecture or activity spaces
- Bathrooms on every floor
- Emergency egress chairs in the stairways in case of fire or other evacuation
- Strobes with all emergency alarms for hearing impaired building users
- Wind chimes or auditory alert systems in the vicinity of the building for hearing impaired users
The architects take down all the ideas and agree to evaluate and determine what is doable and bring updates to a future meeting.
When Ms. Clark brings the first designs back to the committee, there are several items that they left out of the plans. These include bathrooms on every other floor instead of each floor, steps and ramps at several places, and no egress chairs in the stairways.
The architects explain that the budget won’t allow for everything on the original list. “We asked you to dream big,” says Ms. Clark, “And you did just that. Unfortunately, we can’t do everything on the list for the budget allotted to this project.”
Dr. Donavan expresses her disappointment and concern about the elimination of the egress chairs. “If students don’t feel they can safely evacuate the building, why would they come here?” she asks. “Well, the plan would be for anyone with mobility issues to wait on the landing in the stairwell and emergency personnel will get them out of the building if there is an incident,” shares Ms. Clark. “That isn’t acceptable – ” Alice begins. “But it is compliant with ADA,” Ms. Clark interrupts.
After others weigh in, the issue goes to the limited number of bathrooms. Alice brings up this topic saying, “About the bathrooms – ” but again she is interrupted. This time by Dr. Edens who says. “Bathrooms are one thing we can compromise on,” he states emphatically. “Since the bathrooms are accessible – in fact every stall, sink, hand dryer, etc. is accessible – some students will just have to go to another floor.”
“But some people need quick access,” Hannah says. “It depends on their situation, but they may need a bathroom on every floor.” Hannah goes on – without being interrupted – about how important bathrooms on each floor are.
“We understand your point, Hannah. Really we do,” Ms. Clark says. “But we have to cut some things to make this work. If we don’t cut the bathrooms, what do we cut? Students can just study on the floors where the bathrooms are if that is a concern for them. And in the scope of things, how often is that even an issue for traditionally aged college students?”
“What about the movable spaces? Can we possibly accomplish the same thing in a less expensive way?” Alice asks. Ms. Clark interrupts her. “Hold on there. Before we decide we’re going to cut things, let’s take a look at the entire plan.” He looks directly at Alice. “You don’t even know what else we have proposed, yet.” Dr. Edens says, “I think what Alice was trying to say is that we can get creative with how to create multi-use space. Maybe there are ways to make the space functional for different sorts of activities in a way that frees up money for other items on our list.” Ms. Clark nods and adds, “I see what you mean, Dr. Edens. Our team is made up of architects. We are creative people. This meeting and the points you are raising are exactly what we hoped for when this committee was formed. Thanks for that.”
Alice talks with Ms. Fleming after the meeting to discuss her frustrations with the way she was treated during the discussion. Ms. Fleming says, “I know. I get frustrated when I get interrupted, too. Sometimes that is just how meetings go when you have a lot of strong opinions in the room. I tend to just sit there and take notes rather than speaking up. Maybe that could work for you, too. Don’t let it get to you.”
Questions for Discussion
- What systems are in play here, and what are ways for Alice to combat them?
- How might Alice’s silence in the future affect the project?
- If budgetary concerns will limit the options for the building, how might the committee go about prioritizing items on their wish list?
Discussion
Building effective teams is important to any project, search process, or initiative. However, just because the “right people” are at the table, the ways in which individual perspectives are solicited, heard, and valued can vary. Providing structure to teams about the important experience and insight each member brings before the work of the team begins can be essential. Additionally, developing strategies to disrupt systemic power and privilege – particularly as it relates to identity and intersectional identities – can position teams to do powerful, transformative, and effective work.
Considering past teams you have been a part of, how have you seen this done well and where have you seen problematic practices in action? Whose responsibility is it to make sure all the voices are heard and that issues related to tokenism are avoided or addressed as they emerge in the work done by teams?
References
Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Regulations: Part 35 Nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in state and local services. (October 11, 2016). Retrieved from: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleII_2010/titleII_2010_regulations.htm
Protecting students with disabilities: Frequently asked questions about section 504 and the education of children with disabilities. (March 24, 2018). Retrieved from: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html
Author Biographies
Cara Leath (she, her, hers) is a Senior Fellowship Manager at Formation. As a graduate student at Clemson University, she held an assistantship in the College of Business Academic Advising Center and completed three other field experience placements both domestically and abroad. Her passion areas in student affairs include support services and structures for students with mental health concerns and student success initiatives.
Adric Hardy (he, him, his) is an Assistant Dean of Students at Duke University. At Clemson University his assistantship was in Student Accessibility Services where he served students with documented disabilities. Adric also has experience in Recruitment and Admissions and Global Engagement. Adric utilizes his experience to further explore the intersectionality of students with disabilities and student conduct.