BYU has seen improvements to physical accessibility on campus in recent years but there is still room for additional mobility resources to be implemented.
“The BYU Accessibility Center seeks to provide students with disabilities equal access to all opportunities at BYU and to create an environment that facilitates learning and assists students in reaching their full potential,” the University Accessibility Center website said.
Daniel Andersen recently graduated with a master's degree from the BYU School of Communications. He said he relied on ramps and other mobility options during his time at BYU.
“Are you familiar with the stairs in between the Wilkinson center and the library? Six years ago, you had to go all the way around that little hill, but they put in that ramp and stairs so that — from an accessibility standpoint — students with wheelchairs and other mobility issues didn’t have to take a huge detour,” Andersen said. “It did take a while for those to get implemented, but at the end of the day, it is improving, and I think that’s promising."
As a student, Andersen advocated for students with disabilities and said he has seen results in recent years.
“We don't just say, 'Okay, you've got your documentation of this,'" said Ed Martinelli, director of the University Accessibility Center, of the accommodation process. "It has this diagnosis, and these are the accommodations. We really want to know how it is for the student, what barriers they're experiencing in their particular situation. We do have a certain sense of kind of ministering to them."
While BYU has improved mobility options in recent years, Andersen said there is still work to do.
“There are still some older buildings that are not as well equipped to be accessible ... the Brimhall building — having a secondary elevator would have made it a little easier and safer. So, there are areas that could be improved, and I definitely hope they continue to make improvements,” Andersen said.
Andersen said he has faced complications with the Brimhall Building in the past, to the point where firefighters had to assist him in getting downstairs due to an elevator malfunction.
Students and professors can help students with disabilities on campus, Andersen said.
“The more that people with disabilities are included or make themselves included in the conversations of everyday life ... the more that it's going to normalize, and the better that the community is going to be prepared to really be inclusive,” Andersen said.