Improving Accessibility in Residence Halls Discussion Sample
Please Note: All visuals have been removed from this sample.
Description of the Problem
Improving accessibility is vital to Virginia Tech’s ability to increase the numbers of students, faculty, staff, and visitors with disabilities. As beautiful as it is, Virginia Tech was founded in 1872 and went through over 100 years of construction before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. As a result, many buildings on campus weren’t designed with the disabled in mind, and while Virginia Tech has largely updated its buildings to comply with the ADA, some gaps remain.
According to 42 U.S. Code 12182 section (b)(2)(A)(iv), a public entity should take necessary steps “to remove architectural barriers, and communication barriers that are structural in nature, in existing facilities, where such removal is readily achievable.”[1] Given Virginia Tech’s commitment to ADA, the university should be more aware of situations on campus that potentially put it in violation of federal policy. Regardless of whether older buildings are “grandfathered in” and are not required to be updated, ADA compliance is an ethical commitment that should be followed.
Complete accessibility in residential halls faces two main barriers: steps and doors. Steps are an issue both inside and outside some halls, with mid-floor steps blocking as much as a third of a floor and exterior steps blocking as many as half of all entrances. Doors are also an issue both inside and outside residential halls, with some halls lacking handicap push-buttons on all entrances. Many halls also have doors without handicap push-buttons mid-floor or closed doors blocking community spaces like lounges and kitchens. To add onto the lack of handicap push-buttons, some of these doors can be considered heavier than normal, making it even harder for an individual with a disability to gain access.
While Virginia Tech has made efforts to increase accessibility of the older buildings on campus, many of the residential halls still lack key accessibility features to combat barriers. We did research on accessibility at six different residential halls with a variety of construction dates. We looked at one of the older residential halls, Hillcrest Hall, which was built in 1940. We also looked at Newman Hall, built in 1964; Pritchard Hall, built in 1967; New Residence Hall East, built in 1998; New Hall West, built in 2009; and the newest residential hall, The Creativity and Innovation District (CID), built in 2021.
Steps
The first main accessibility barrier present in the residential halls is the lack of ramps or elevators to provide access where steps are present. Without this accessibility feature an individual with a disability may be blocked from accessing certain areas in residential halls or be severely limited in their access options.
Mid-floor Steps
The first accessibility barrier in some residential halls is mid-floor steps present on every floor. In Newman Hall these steps block access to a third of every floor for individuals with disabilities, including a bathroom, as shown in Figure 1. Hillcrest Hall also has mid-floor steps present on the residential floors which block access to a fourth of every floor for individuals with disabilities (Figure 2).
Pritchard Hall also has mid-floor steps that block access to about a third of every floor (see Figure 3). They have elevators on each side, so an individual could theoretically access both sides of all floors, but they’d have to plan accordingly when they enter the hall to which side of the steps they wanted to be on. The exception to this is the first floor, which is fully accessible through an “Upper Lobby” or “1R” floor present on one of the two elevators in Pritchard (see Figures 4 and 5); however, this option is not available for every floor.
Entrance Steps
Another accessibility issue present at some residential halls is lack of access into and out of the building, with as little as one entrance having a handicap accessible entrance ramp. While Newman Hall has two handicap accessible entrances, they’re on opposite sides of the building from each other with one giving access to only a third of the floor due to the mid-floor steps (see Figure 6). This issue is also present at Hillcrest hall, which only has one handicap accessible entrance-ramp — all other entrances are blocked by one to multiple steps, as shown in Figure 7.
Doors
The second main accessibility barrier present in the residential halls is a lack of handicap push buttons on doors, especially heavier ones. Without this simple but important feature, an individual with a disability may struggle with entering/exiting the hall; accessing rooms like bathrooms, kitchens, and study rooms; or traveling through floors with mid-floor doors.
Entrances
Most prominent is the lack of handicap push buttons at residential hall entrances. While this simple accessibility feature has been added to most residential halls, some remain as obstacles. None of Newman Hall’s entrances have handicap push buttons (see Figure 8), and only one of Hillcrest Hall’s do (see Figure 9). Entering/exiting your residential hall is a basic need that everybody deserves to have access to without struggle.
Communal Spaces
Many residential halls also lack handicap buttons to access closed rooms like bathrooms, kitchens, and study rooms. For example, even if a student with a disability has easy access into and out of buildings such as New Hall West, New Residence Hall East, and Pritchard Hall, they would still struggle to access the study rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms as they all lack this key accessibility feature. Figures 10, 11, and 12 display the lack of accessibility present by having closed doors with no handicap push button to grant access.
Mid-floor Doors
Additionally, residential halls have the occasional door present in their hallways, and while some have handicap push buttons available to open them, others do not. Without handicap push buttons or door-stops to maintain open entry, individuals with disabilities may struggle to access parts of floors that should be easily available to them. These inconsistencies throughout residential halls can also affect student morale and create a sense of unfairness for those who have more accessibility than others. Take the Creation and Innovation District (CID) for example, which possess handicap buttons for mid-floor residential entry as seen in Figure 13, and the difference to Hillcrest Hall, to which mid-floors doors split the level in half. This is a barrier for any individual with a disability (see Figure 14).
Additionally, in Newman Hall, there are doors in the hallway between the elevator and the door to the lounge, as shown in Figure 14. So while an individual with a disability should be able to access this part of the floor by the elevator, they would find themselves cut off by these inaccessible doors. Pritchard Hall has a similar set-up, with doors right by the elevator, blocking off a hallway (see Figure 15).
Heavy Doors
Even for residential halls that represent admirable models of handicap accessibility, such as CID, barriers still persist. While this building is the most recently constructed residential hall, there are still accessibility issues despite construction compliance with updated ADA requirements. For example, the bathrooms have heavy doors that might pose difficulties for an individual with a disability to open (Figures 16 and 17). The only difference between the handicap bathroom and regular bathroom is a slightly larger space. Because there is no difference in the door weight or other accessibility features present, an individual with a disability might struggle to access the bathrooms that are supposedly designed for them.
Summary
As shown by the previous sections, the lack of accessibility in the residential halls ranges from affecting entrances to communal spaces. To summarize the effects of these barriers, we interviewed Casper Rao, a freshman resident of Hillcrest Hall, who had been temporarily disabled earlier this school year. He was on crutches for a month and a half, so he first-hand experienced some of the challenges individuals with disabilities experience every day. When asked what difficulties he faced in his hall, he responded:
The outside door has a handicap button that opens; however, the other doors that connect to the different halls are just somewhat heavy doors that shut really fast. So at times that would be a challenge. I would have to stick my crutch underneath the door like a stopper to be able to hobble sideways in.
When asked what changes he would like to see be made in the dorm, he responded, “I think if there could be additions of something like an automatic door and also just those things at the top of the doors that control how fast they shut would be very important for people that are on crutches or especially those in wheelchairs.” He was only temporarily disabled, and this experience changed his view on accessibility and he was only temporarily disabled; the effects on those living with disabilities their whole life must be much worse — changes need to be made for the good of everyone.
Potential Solutions
After studying the problem and researching solution feasibility, this part of our report focuses on potential ways to remedy existing obstacles. According to Virginia Tech Policy No. 5405, any additional construction “to improve the existing level of quality and function; or to accommodate a change in the nature of the use of a space within a building or facility” is identified as a renovation project.[2] Several ADA-style additions have been constructed as renovations in the past, and are less expensive than their capital counterparts, which consists of a price over $3 million. Therefore, we ask that you view the proposed solutions as practicable renovations which, overall, will not expense the university to a great extent. We believe any residential alteration that promotes equity and inclusivity is highly profitable to not only the well-being and of campus residents, visitors, and staff, but for Virginia Tech’s reputation as a progressive school. Furthermore, we have investigated under the assumption that the recommended solutions below follow the criteria of a renovation with the exception of a portable equipment solution, (See Solution 1.2: Portable Multi-Fold Ramps & 2.2 Door Stoppers.)
Problem 1: Steps
Just a few steps can act as a huge barrier for an individual with a disability. We urge Virginia Tech to consider simple remedies such as ramps, portable multi-fold ramps, and chair lifts.
Solution 1.1: Ramps
This solution could be used for both mid-floor and entrance steps. We recommend the installation of a ramp alongside or even in place of mid-floor stairs. An example of this already exists in Hutcheson Hall, shown in Figure 18, where mid-floor steps connect the second floor hallway to Smyth Hall.
Solution 1.2: Portable Multi-Fold Ramps
For areas where permanently installing ramps is not possible, portable multi-fold ramps could improve temporary accessibility at mid-floor step locations in residential halls. Policy 5405 does not apply to portable equipment, so the addition of portable multi-fold ramps would not be considered a renovation. It would actually be more economical, and would accommodate item transportation for residents on move-in/move-out day as well as any visiting parties with a disability. Figures 19 and 20 show examples of this product.
This innovative item allows for easy use where renovation is not possible. Ramp length for the product seen in Figures 19 and 20 ranges from 5 ft. to 8 ft., with prices ranging from $323.49 to $552.99.[3] Housekeeping or Residential Student Leaders could store such equipment for use as needed for residential halls with mid-floor stairs.
Solution 1.3: Chair Lifts
Our third solution consists of a chair list, which applies to mid-floor stairs and entrance stairs. Chair lifts are already found in many buildings across campus, including Shanks Hall (Figure 21) and Hutcheson Hall (Figure 22). According to Mike Coleman, associate vice president for facilities, “a lift costs around $10,000.”[4] However, unlike ramps, these require maintenance from time to time.
Problem 2: Doors
Virginia Tech’s residential halls have various accessibility barriers involving doors. Some solutions they should consider, depending on the problem, are installing handicap push buttons, adding door stoppers, and adjusting heavy doors to have less force.
Solution 2.1: Handicap Push Buttons
This solution could work for all doors in the residence halls. Handicap push buttons already exist on most exterior residential hall entrances. To establish consistency among residential entrances, we recommend installing handicap buttons to all doors that do not currently have one.
Solution 2.2: Door Stopper
An inexpensive and adaptable solution for mid-floor doors leading to hallway or communal spaces are door stoppers. In stocking residential halls with these simple tools, the university automatically provides valuable solutions where inaccessibility might occur. We recommend that door stoppers be installed for each mid-floor and lounge door within residential halls. In doing so, students and visitors with disabilities can fully utilize residential halls. Some door stoppers already exist in many residential buildings, such as New Residence Hall East as seen in Figure 23. The cost of the door stoppers would be under $70 per door, not including installation.[5]
Solution 2.4: Non-Heavy Doors
In addition to previously stated issues, many bathroom doors in CID are too heavy. Unlike the traditional layout of gendered bathroom stalls, CID offers individual bathrooms to its residents, with the handicap bathrooms being slightly bigger. While this layout encourages inclusivity, there is much pressure behind each door, making it hard for some with a possible disability to open. According to Mason Montgomery, Renovations Project Manager, doors with closers can be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure if the pull is too heavy. We recommend further evaluation of this solution, as it would only require maintenance attention and could easily remedy the concern. This solution can be applied to handicap bathrooms as well as communal spaces.
[1] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2021-title42/pdf/USCODE-2021-title42-chap126-subchapIII-sec12182.pdf
[2] https://www.policies.vt.edu/5405.pdf
[3] https://handiramp.com/product/pvi-portable-multifold-ramps/
[4] http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/virginia_tech/virginia-tech-evaluates-campus-accessibility/article_e21341a2-5701-5d51-b457-f4f8ede807ef.html
[5] https://www.zoro.com/edwards-signaling-door-holder-surface-mount-1508-aqn5/i/G1129536/