Elevator down, poses accessibility issues

Senior sociology major Sean Gray has stopped going to WMUC management meetings. He wasn't demoted, and he didn't quit. He just can't access the second-floor WMUC radio station until someone fixes the elevator.

Facilities Management closed the notoriously rickety elevator in the South Campus Dining Hall — which houses university publications' newsrooms, counseling services, Dining Services and the Help Center in addition to WMUC — on Aug. 26 after it malfunctioned repeatedly. The elevator is scheduled to be up and running again Nov. 1.

A long flight of stairs is the only other visible way to access the offices on the upper levels. For disabled students and those carrying large packages or equipment, that's just not going to cut it, said Gray, who has cerebral palsy and uses a walker.

The other option? Call one of five phone numbers listed on a sign that's posted on the elevator doors and ask for an escort through the "alternate route," which begins in the dishwashing station of the dining hall's kitchen and ends in front of an antiquated freight elevator complete with two thick, black doors and a metal gate.

"It's just been a hassle," Gray said. "What I think is interesting is they could've done this during the summer when no one was using this building."

But Facilities Management officials held off on repairing the elevator over the summer because of the high price tag attached to fixing it, and they were hoping to find a cheaper option, said Greg Thompson, assistant director for facilities and maintenance for Dining Services.

"The cost for repairing the elevator is $110,000," Thompson said. "It came as quite a shock. We want to save as much money as possible, so we were holding off, but all that did is cost us time getting it repaired during the summer."

The signs posted on the elevator apologize for "any inconvenience," give the date it should be repaired "for modernization" and reassure people they can call any of the phone numbers at all hours, day or night.

"I'm not saying this is a perfect solution," Thompson said. "I'm just trying to make an ugly situation less ugly."

Gray said because WMUC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and often features live music, the out-of-service elevator is especially burdensome.

"We have live bands that come in on Sunday nights, so they have a lot of heavy equipment, and that's going to hinder what we can do with the station," he said. "I think it's going to be a deterrent for bands to come in and play."

Even though Facilities Management officials said they are working to make the best of the situation, Gray said his inability to get through the building is just another unwelcome mobility challenge.

"[The elevator] is a stark reminder that there's nothing you can do and you're helpless," Gray said. "It reminds you that you're helpless in a campus that is made for able-bodied people. It's just a reminder that I have a disability and that's not going to go away, and it's going to be a reminder pretty much every time I go to the radio station."

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