Alex Kvaskov | News Editor
Featured image: Majid—who is wheelchair-bound—says she is not surprised that accommodation is lacking at York. | Amir Yazdanparast
Nadeen Majid wants you to know that accessibility is not a joke.
The third-year law and society and criminology student suffers from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy—a neuromuscular disorder causing weakness and a lack of sensation in the arms and legs—that undermines her campus experience.
In October, she was excited when the Public Policy & Administration Student Association, or PPASA, Business and Society Student Club and Undergraduate Political Science Council announced their annual Ottawa trip.
Having paid the $150 fee for transportation, accommodation and admissions, Majid informed the organizers that she would need an accessible bus. Her hopes were deflated when it turned out an accessible bus was unavailable—though she was not surprised.
“I, for one, was not shocked, given York’s history with accessibility,” she says. Moreover, her sisters, who would have to accompany Majid because she can’t walk, would also have to pay the fee because they are not licensed support workers.
In an emailed statement, PPASA president Munisha Basiram says PPASA called their bus company and several others after Majid’s request, but they were either unavailable for the requested dates or quoted unaffordable prices.
“We spoke with representatives from McLaughlin College Council; Physical, Sensory and Medical Disability Services; and the Centre for Human Rights to determine how to proceed, but unfortunately had exhausted all our avenues,” says Basiram.
“We consulted widely, but ultimately a combination of financial and time constraints led to us being unable to have her attend the trip. We tried everything in our capacity, but regret that Nadeen was not able to participate in the Ottawa trip,” she adds.
Majid says it is appalling that York can’t provide her access to such basic accomodations.
“It is willing to host pep rallies, but is not willing to provide the basic funding needed for every student, including those with disabilities, to enjoy trips. The university experience is not only measured by academics, but it does have a social component and that is being taken away from me,” she adds.
This isn’t the first time she’s struggled with accessibility at York.
“My first year here I found the desks in the classrooms that were deemed ‘accessible’ were not in fact accessible for me,” says Majid. “I struggled in my classes with an inaccessible desk.”
Two years ago, Majid enrolled in Julie Dowsett’s Gender and the Law social science course. Soon after, the two discovered that Majid’s wheelchair did not fit in the designated accessible desk in the lecture hall, and her tutorial room had no accessible desk at all.
“Contact was made with Counselling and Disability Services in September,” writes Dowsett in an email to Excalibur. Majid’s teaching assistant, Maija Duncan, couldn’t locate a suitable desk in the vicinity of their tutorial room on the eighth floor of the Ross building.
Meanwhile, Dowsett also contacted York’s Centre for Human Rights in a bid to speed things up, however the desks remained unavailable until November.
“When they did [arrive], both desks were far too high,” writes Dowsett. Together with Duncan, she concluded the desks couldn’t be adjusted because the legs were soldered.
“At that point, the situation was bordering on a parody of bad accessibility politics,” continues Dowsett.
York spokesperson Barbara Joy says timing can be an issue depending on the nature of the request. “A request for an adjustable table can sometimes be accommodated very quickly if one is available in current stock,” she says.
By the end of the 2014 fall semester, the situation remained unresolved, according to Dowsett. “Because it has been a couple of years, I can’t remember if it was ever resolved. However, if Nadeen eventually got a desk that properly fit her wheelchair for lecture and tutorial, it certainly did not happen in the fall term.”
“It is unfortunate that in this particular case there were shipping delays and that adjustments were required once the accessible desk was delivered,” says Joy. “York has a long-standing commitment to provide academic accommodation, as well as to make sure our facilities are as accessible as possible.”
With files from Kanchi Uttamchandani
