ADA violation at VCU basketball game raises questions about accessibility on campus

Katrina Lee, News Editor

Sahara Sriraman, Contributing Writer 

The accessibility standards of the Stuart C. Siegel Center gained public attention on social media after a reporter was recently unable to broadcast the VCU vs. Rhode Island basketball game due to an Americans with Disabilities Act violation. 

ADA is a law that prevents any form of disability discrimination. VCU offers a number of ADA accommodations on campus, according to the Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success.

Shane Donaldson, the University of Rhode Island’s associate athletics director for men’s basketball, has cerebral palsy, which affects his muscle strength and balance from the hips down. He traveled to VCU last month to broadcast the men’s basketball game. However, the broadcasting platform was only accessible by climbing a step ladder over a metal fence.

“When I saw the setup, I knew for me personally it was not going to be a good idea to attempt to go on the ladder and step over,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson took a picture of the ladder and posted it to his Twitter, which resulted in over 100 retweets.

 “Not ideal for anyone. Certainly not for someone with cerebral palsy. @TheStoneFreeman will have the solo call tonight. To the listeners, I’m sorry,” the tweet states. 

Donaldson said he usually knows ahead of time if he is unable to get to the broadcasting booth. However, in this case, he said he was unaware.

Donaldson said VCU should take certain steps to better accommodate people with disabilities, especially for newer buildings like the Siegel Center, which was built in 1999, nine years after the ADA was enacted, according to a VCU athletics website

“In a facility like the Siegel Center, you would think that there are resources and there are options to come up with, with really not even very complicated planning and processing,” Donaldson said. 

Ed McLaughlin, the VCU vice president and director of athletics, issued a statement about Donaldson’s experience at the game.

“We have worked closely with the University ADA office to modify the radio location, address accessibility concerns for the remainder of the season and establish a long-term plan moving forward,” McLaughlin stated. “Access and inclusion are central to our values and we feel confident that our work with the University ADA office will remove barriers in those areas.”

Adjunct graphic design instructor Emily Sara, who has a disability and uses a wheelchair, said she doesn’t believe VCU follows ADA policy.

“It’s VCU, and it’s every institute. I think all institutes hide behind this unfortunately. Largely because there are not a lot of people enforcing it until someone sues you for it, saying that I don’t have equal access to XYZ,” Sara said. 

Sara said she teaches in the Pollak Building, which requires her to enter through a back entrance as the front entrance is inaccessible to her. Sara said she respects that the Pollak Building is  rented by VCU, but said it still doesn’t change the fact she has to enter the building from the back entrance.

“To be honest, it’s humiliating, to, you know, have to access the university that way,” Sara said. “I think, largely lots of times, it just comes down to that. It’s like you are saying, who can walk in the front door and saying who can roll in the back door, essentially?”

Sara said VCU could be a very revolutionary university if VCU thought of these spaces more “holistically” and took individuals with disabilities’ advice on how to make buildings more accessible. 

“You know, like having the disability office at a university, filled with disabled individuals is going to totally change how accommodations are made,” Sara said. 

Another way that Sara said VCU could make an effort to make things more accessible is to hire more disabled faculty.

Sara said just having conversations about accessibility for individuals who are disabled is very important for change to happen. 

“This also is another part of it is like students just asking, you know, students wanting to engage is a really a big part of this,” Sara said. 

Cleopatra Magwaro, the associate vice president of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness & Success at VCU, stated via email VCU’s top priority is ensuring all people have access to VCU facilities. 

Magwaro stated VCU must abide by all ADA regulations when building new buildings or altering existing ones. If buildings or events are not accessible to all people, VCU can choose to make structural changes or completely relocate.

“Our programs and activities remain accessible to all at VCU, regardless of disability status, both seen and unseen,” Magwaro stated.

Anyone who has concerns about accessibility is encouraged to fill out the Campus Accessibility Concern Form.

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