A sign for an accessible entrance to Evans Laboratory behind a pile of snow on Thursday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
During the second weekend of the semester, Columbus saw a foot of snow which resulted in Ohio State moving classes online Jan. 26-27. In-person class returned on Jan. 28, but students with disabilities still faced accessibility issues around campus.
“This big snowstorm is finally impacting abled people. That’s when it becomes too much,” said August Tucker, who uses a cane. “That’s when it’s really bad. But every time it snows, it’s like this.”
Tucker is a third-year in earth sciences and co-president of Buckeyes4Accessibility, or B4A. He said he had trouble walking around campus due to the shoveled snow leaving a narrow opening to walk.
“They [cleared out paths] were barely wide enough for me, who only has like, the cane,” he said. “Let alone a rollator or a wheelchair.”
Code Beschler, a graduate student in comparative studies program and is also aco-president of B4A, uses a manual wheelchair and relies on Paratransit, Ohio State’s disability transport service, to get around campus.?
“They’ve shoveled these sidewalks, but they haven’t shoveled the sidewalk that takes you to the accessible entrance,” he said.?
Beschler said some wheelchair ramps were not cleared off.
Dan Hedman, a university spokesperson, said in an email that anyone experiencing issues with the snow can report it to Service2Facilities by calling 614-292-HELP (4357).
Hedman said that Ohio State’s Facilities Operations and Development team cleared on-campus roadways, sidewalks, plaza areas, steps and curbs. Custodians help shovel steps and building entryways and CampusParc is responsible for plowing parking lots and garage rooftops.
“In an ongoing snow event, accumulation continues to occur after areas are cleared and crews must circle back and work continuously to treat and clear pathways,” Hedman said.
Columbus is responsible for off-campus roads and property and business owners, and tenants, are in charge of shoveling off-campus sidewalks, Hedman said.
Mo White, a fourth-year in landscape architecture, is disabled and uses their car to get around campus.?
“There is no places to park and that is an accessibility issue,” they said. “I actually recently was unable to attend a class because I had to loop the parking lot for 45 minutes total.”
CampusParc said 10% of campus’ 3,500 spots were unusable due to the large piles of snow remaining after the storm, per prior Lantern reporting.
The paths, crosswalks and stairways to exit the parking lot near Knowlton Hall weren’t cleared either, White said.?
Some paths were cleared by foot traffic but not enough for mobility aids to get through, Beschler said.
“They’ll shovel the sidewalk to an extent that again, people can walk on it, but it won’t be wide enough in order for me to actually use my chair,” Beschler said.?
White agreed, they said sidewalks need to be cleared for those who use wheelchairs and mobility aids, not just for those who can walk.
“If you’re clearing it just so people can get through, but you’re not clearing all the way across the pathway, you are making it inaccessible,” White said. “You end up losing six to eight inches off of the pathway that would be utilized by people in wheelchairs, by people who are not sighted that need to be able to feel the curbs.”
Tucker, White, and Beschler had to miss class and campus activities due to the snow.?
Walking through the snow and ice can be dangerous to those with disabilities.
“There were zero paths to the actual doors, so I had to walk through the snow,” White said.? “When you have mobility issues, you are at increased risk of fall. And a fall is no joke.”?
Tucker, White and Beschler said they had to walk on the road off-campus due to sidewalks not being clear.?
“I essentially either had to go on the icy alley to leave my house,” Tucker said.“Or I had to be trying to struggle on a foot of snow and then walk on the road, which is a huge issue.” White said they saw others walking on the road, not just those with mobility aids.
“Someone was walking on the side of the road, which is a danger to themselves and also cars because they had headphones on,” White said. “But I see that the sidewalk isn’t usable on campus.”?
The City of Ohio State released a podcast episode on how Ohio State responds to snow.
The article was edited on Feb. 13 at 10:24 a.m. to add the Service2Facilities number.
