So... for those who missed the updates before about how I couldn't get from the underground garage parking space I paid for, to my class because the lovely people in Access Services who turned on the card access to let me into the garage did not simultaneously (while I was sitting there in front of them in my mobility scooter) turn on access to have my ID card unlock the door between me & the elevator (or the elevator itself in one building's case)... there's your "prior episode" catch up at the beginning of the new episode. Nutshell opened a little more: it took me more than 30min after my class ended yesterday to even get back to my vehicle PARKED 4 FLOORS NEARLY DIRECTLY BELOW MY CLASS NEXT TO THE ELEVATOR. And because I brought my exclusively breastfeeding 13 week old baby with me I also have an Assistant Dean breathing down my neck (see prior blog post).
So now, in order to get to my OPPRESSION and HEALTH DISPARITIES classes (yes, the irony of what I'm enrolled in this semester with this stuff going on is darkly amusing, isn't it?) I put in a phone call and email follow-up requesting access to those doors (email below), since they weren't answering their phone yesterday when I was stuck without access to my van to leave the building for so long...
Here's my email to them:
Attached is my access memo for this semester from Disability Services. I replied to them over a week ago that I need to have access to elevators between where I park and my classes but apparently that never got passed along to Access Services, as I was unable to get through the door in the Health Sciences parking garage to the elevator inside the School of Nursing with my card on Monday (the card let me into the garage but not into the building). Similar situation yesterday when I parked in Lot [redacted] (as my permit is marked) - was able to get into the garage, but the elevator would not let me in and then when I was in the building (after someone else let me into the elevator in the first place) I was unable to use the elevator to get back to the basement level parking. I attempted to call Access Services repeatedly (this was at about 1pm) before giving up and just finding a professor to use her card to swipe & let the basement button be activated.
I would also like to make an appointment to meet with Dr. [name of one of my former undergraduate profs redacted] over in Sociology and it would be helpful if you could turn on my card access to [that building name, redacted]'s accessible door. I am considering taking some Sociology classes.
As a mobility-challenged student, it would be very appreciated if any card-swipe doors that are the accessible entrance to a building that is unlocked & accessible to able-bodied students via entryways with stairs were automatically granted access permission on the mobility-challenged student's ID card (and staff or faculty, if they don't already have such access by default) so that the individual does not have to do so much extra coordinating to make full enjoyment of the campus to the same extent able-bodied students take for granted.
Thank you.
[my full legal name redacted]
******
I got a reasonably prompt email from Access Services (considering I haven't heard back from Disability Services regarding my initial attempt to make sure I would have access, sent 11 days ago, a few hour delay in response was incredibly prompt for the Friday afternoon of the first week of classes). The low-level employee who got my email needed a higher up's permission to give me access, she forwarded my email on to him (CCing me on the forward) and then called me to advise me to call him and make sure it got prompt attention. Excellent timing, since my two younger children had both just passed out for naps at the same time (*happy dance*) AND my eldest wasn't home yet from 1st grade (a friend & classmate offered to walk him home this week *another happy dance*)
So I call him. His response when I explained that I could not get into the elevators in TWO BUILDINGS for which I'd paid for UNDERGROUND PARKING because I use a MOBILITY SCOOTER was..... "so why didn't you just go around to the front of the building?"
*headdesk*
Really? I didn't go off on him over the phone but here is my inner monologue:
"Gee, sir, why did I think of levitating my damn scooter up the STAIRS to exit the garage to get around to the front of the building, or taking my scooter into UNCOMING TRAFFIC THAT CAN'T SEE ME THROUGH THE DOOR THAT I PROBABLY WASN'T HEAVY ENOUGH TO EFFING ACTUATE.... wow... BRILLIANT solution... oh, and it's on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BUILDING with a BARELY functional u-bend accessibility ramp (that I have to basically 3-point turn my scooter to make around the turn, and yes I call them u-bend ramps in reference to toilets because I think it's crappy design so extra descriptive!), on the diagonal opposite side of the building from all the handicap parking spaces, with the push-button-to-open door on the opposite side of THAT side of the building once you're up on the non-essential-why-the-hell-cound't-they-just-have-done-universal-design-in-the-first-place-instead half-rise from sidewalk level entrance area of the building... then the elevator is down a hallway from there instead of TEN FEET FROM THE EFFING PARKING SPACE MY PERMINENT DISABLITY LICENSE PLATED MINIVAN IS PARKED IN???? Oh my goodness sir you are so brilliant why don't you have a Nobel prize already?"
*headdesk*
I remained as cordial as my incredulity would allow over the phone, he said he was granting permissions. Trust, but verify - I'll be calling Access Services (whose "low-level employees" have higher level brain functioning than this doofus) as soon as I get a chance with relative quiet on Monday, hopefully before they close and I have to get to my Monday evening class (that has a card-access locked door between the handicapped parking space in the permit-only parking area and the elevators... brilliant, yes?).
Again... all this is while taking a required class on OPPRESSION... I can haz A in dat course now plzthnx?
So now, in order to get to my OPPRESSION and HEALTH DISPARITIES classes (yes, the irony of what I'm enrolled in this semester with this stuff going on is darkly amusing, isn't it?) I put in a phone call and email follow-up requesting access to those doors (email below), since they weren't answering their phone yesterday when I was stuck without access to my van to leave the building for so long...
Here's my email to them:
Attached is my access memo for this semester from Disability Services. I replied to them over a week ago that I need to have access to elevators between where I park and my classes but apparently that never got passed along to Access Services, as I was unable to get through the door in the Health Sciences parking garage to the elevator inside the School of Nursing with my card on Monday (the card let me into the garage but not into the building). Similar situation yesterday when I parked in Lot [redacted] (as my permit is marked) - was able to get into the garage, but the elevator would not let me in and then when I was in the building (after someone else let me into the elevator in the first place) I was unable to use the elevator to get back to the basement level parking. I attempted to call Access Services repeatedly (this was at about 1pm) before giving up and just finding a professor to use her card to swipe & let the basement button be activated.
I would also like to make an appointment to meet with Dr. [name of one of my former undergraduate profs redacted] over in Sociology and it would be helpful if you could turn on my card access to [that building name, redacted]'s accessible door. I am considering taking some Sociology classes.
As a mobility-challenged student, it would be very appreciated if any card-swipe doors that are the accessible entrance to a building that is unlocked & accessible to able-bodied students via entryways with stairs were automatically granted access permission on the mobility-challenged student's ID card (and staff or faculty, if they don't already have such access by default) so that the individual does not have to do so much extra coordinating to make full enjoyment of the campus to the same extent able-bodied students take for granted.
Thank you.
[my full legal name redacted]
******
I got a reasonably prompt email from Access Services (considering I haven't heard back from Disability Services regarding my initial attempt to make sure I would have access, sent 11 days ago, a few hour delay in response was incredibly prompt for the Friday afternoon of the first week of classes). The low-level employee who got my email needed a higher up's permission to give me access, she forwarded my email on to him (CCing me on the forward) and then called me to advise me to call him and make sure it got prompt attention. Excellent timing, since my two younger children had both just passed out for naps at the same time (*happy dance*) AND my eldest wasn't home yet from 1st grade (a friend & classmate offered to walk him home this week *another happy dance*)
So I call him. His response when I explained that I could not get into the elevators in TWO BUILDINGS for which I'd paid for UNDERGROUND PARKING because I use a MOBILITY SCOOTER was..... "so why didn't you just go around to the front of the building?"
*headdesk*
Really? I didn't go off on him over the phone but here is my inner monologue:
"Gee, sir, why did I think of levitating my damn scooter up the STAIRS to exit the garage to get around to the front of the building, or taking my scooter into UNCOMING TRAFFIC THAT CAN'T SEE ME THROUGH THE DOOR THAT I PROBABLY WASN'T HEAVY ENOUGH TO EFFING ACTUATE.... wow... BRILLIANT solution... oh, and it's on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BUILDING with a BARELY functional u-bend accessibility ramp (that I have to basically 3-point turn my scooter to make around the turn, and yes I call them u-bend ramps in reference to toilets because I think it's crappy design so extra descriptive!), on the diagonal opposite side of the building from all the handicap parking spaces, with the push-button-to-open door on the opposite side of THAT side of the building once you're up on the non-essential-why-the-hell-cound't-they-just-have-done-universal-design-in-the-first-place-instead half-rise from sidewalk level entrance area of the building... then the elevator is down a hallway from there instead of TEN FEET FROM THE EFFING PARKING SPACE MY PERMINENT DISABLITY LICENSE PLATED MINIVAN IS PARKED IN???? Oh my goodness sir you are so brilliant why don't you have a Nobel prize already?"
*headdesk*
I remained as cordial as my incredulity would allow over the phone, he said he was granting permissions. Trust, but verify - I'll be calling Access Services (whose "low-level employees" have higher level brain functioning than this doofus) as soon as I get a chance with relative quiet on Monday, hopefully before they close and I have to get to my Monday evening class (that has a card-access locked door between the handicapped parking space in the permit-only parking area and the elevators... brilliant, yes?).
Again... all this is while taking a required class on OPPRESSION... I can haz A in dat course now plzthnx?
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