Last September, disabled students and their allies at the University of Birmingham held a protest against campus inaccessibility, and what they saw as the university’s lack of support for its disabled students. Charging the university with “institutional ableism,” the Disability and Mental Health Students Association (DAMSA) demanded change.
Of the three broad issues leading to the protest, physical accessibility is top of the list. The university does provide an online map for wheelchair users and other disabled people to follow. But as I discovered from one student, who wanted to stay anonymous, taking this route can prolong each journey significantly. “Last year in January, I injured my shoulder and consequently I had to use the more accessible routes,” they told me. “I was shocked about how much more I had to think about getting to class.”
Digital accessibility—the ability to access academic content online if someone cannot make it onto campus—is just as important. Jay (not their real name), a DAMSA spokesperson, told me that on some days they can make it to their lectures and seminars. On others, their body will not let them. No student should be discriminated against because they physically cannot make it onto campus. So lecturers need to ensure their content is being recorded or noted so that disabled students can access the material they have paid for.