The Editor-in-Chief’s column: Oswego is not safe or accessible
I really do not know how people with disabilities navigate SUNY Oswego’s campus and this snowy and icy weather has really highlighted some cracks in the infrastructure, literally.
It has been known that SUNY Oswego is not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. Sidewalks and walkways are inconsistently plowed and are full of divots, plus certain buildings, like Lee Hall, do not have elevators.
Aside from the potholes on the roads throughout campus, which could probably pop a tire if you are not careful, the sidewalks are very poorly managed on all parts of the campus. Near Tyler Hall, there are 6-inch trenches where the seams between cement blocks used to be. These holes are quickly covered during snow storms and make walking to class very tricky if you are not watching where you walk closely.
Between the ice storm last week and the snow this past week, walking to class has not been the best time. Not to say my walk to school was uphill both ways in four feet of snow, but the famous Oswego winds plus the snow and a bit of slush makes for an unpleasant trip. On my walk to class last Tuesday, none of the sidewalks between the Village, where I live, and Lanigan Hall had been plowed or salted. It would have been impossible for any person with physical disabilities to get to campus from the Village through those pathways.
Besides the sketchy sidewalk situation, a lack of elevators has become more of an issue on campus in recent weeks. The single elevator in Mahar Hall broke on Feb. 7 and has not been fixed at the time I am writing this (Feb. 28). Mahar has four floors that are home to classrooms, labs and faculty offices and there is currently no way for physically disabled people to access past the first floor. Any student or faculty who has class on the second, third or fourth floors must be able-bodied to even access their classroom, and it has been this way for three weeks.
While Mahar Hall typically has a working elevator, Lee Hall does not have one at all. Any club or recreation member that needs to access the second or third floor of Lee must take the stairs. This leaves students with little options if they are unable to make the climb but want to join the club. Del Sarte Dance Club, to which I am a member, uses the dance studio on the third floor five days a week and was founded on inclusivity so anyone could join the club, no matter dance experience, age, gender or ability level. It is hard to claim to be an inclusive club when the only dance studio available for rehearsals is not accessible to everyone.
I will not even mention the fact that there is no working water fountain on the third floor of Lee and there has not been one for almost two years.
I understand that these issues are not quickly resolved, but they need to be in discussion. For a university that prides itself on diversity and inclusivity, we are not really showing that we care. Outages like the one in Mahar need to be addressed as soon as they happen. I am not saying that it was not discussed, but three weeks without being able to get to your classroom is a long time. And you would think with Oswego’s history of bad weather that plowing snow would be a no-brainer on campus.
Photo by Marcus Aurelius via Pexels
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It seems as though SUNY Oswego does not take pride in their property, nor do they have respect for their students or faculty. The person in charge of grounds maintenance should receive a visit from their boss. Money does not seem to be an issue with SUNY Oswego. Poor management does!
The city of Oswego could do a better job keeping sidewalks and roads clear. We have not had the usual amount of snow this year, so there should not be an issue. People with disabilities have challenges everyday, but adding to their daily challenges is nothing to be proud of.
I occasionally go to the chiropractor office at Licatese Chiropractic on East Bridge Street. One of the best places to park is around the corner on E Third Street. I have to lift my walker out of the car when I go and it is infuriating and beyond infuriating to approach the sidewalk on the north side of the street, at the intersection of Bridge and E. 3rd St., when they never, and I mean, never clear off the snow all the way to the street. The only way to access the chiropractor office, which they do pay their taxes to have the city streets cleared, the only way to access it is to climb over the snowbank. Occasionally, I have not made it into my medical appointment, due to the cities lack of taking three extra minutes to plow the sidewalk to the street. The city spent a lot of money, making the sidewalk accessible to the road with the city doesn’t clean it in the winter. I can understand if they’re doing the first cleaning pass of the sidewalks after a storm, but it can stay this way for days after a snowstorm at the intersection of E. 3rd St. in Bridge Street. Shame on the city of Oswego.