by Anonymous
Note: This article has not been updated since 2022. It was included in this year’s issue because of its relevance to the lives of all students.
Although Penn’s historical buildings are not exempt from adhering to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, they only need to be made accessible by the bare minimum of standards. This means that while most of the Quadrangle is only accessible by multiple flights of stairs and curbs to access even first-floor spaces and hallways, Penn still does not have to make the space more accessible. This access often hinders students from engaging in social contexts as they cannot easily commute throughout the largest dormitory for freshman housing.
A disabled student in the College of Arts and Sciences explained that in her freshman year she was meant to live in a hall on the second floor of Riepe with the rest of their program but was ultimately unable to do this because the space was inaccessible. She instead had to live in another part of the quad where there was an elevator. The college house website describes living in these communities like the one this student was part of as: “one of the greatest benefits of the College House system.” The living-learning experience of these communities is their top selling point, yet those spaces are nowhere near accessible to many students with physical disabilities.
Penn’s loose grasp of ADA compliance extends to most buildings, including some of the newer ones. Residential buildings are generally able to accommodate student needs but those requests are tricky to navigate. Requests for accessible rooms must be made through the Weingarten portal, not MyHomeAtPenn with the rest of the housing application. There, students have to submit documents that validate their request, basically proving that they have a disability and that they need accommodations. Just being disabled does not automatically mean a student will be approved for housing accommodations. Like receiving a Student Disability Services (SDS) coordinator (a contact person for students registered with SDS), housing accommodation requests often take a considerable amount of time for approval, leaving students worrying about whether or not they will actually be able to live in the space they will be paying for.
Even once all of that is completed, Residential Services often fail to properly accommodate students. The disabled student interviewed for this article recounted having to move into a new dorm in the spring of her second year at Penn because her previous room was not functional for her needs. When she arrived in her new room, she was horrified at how lacking it was in basic ADA compliance. Her door and bed were broken, her bathroom did not have enough space for her to maneuver inside of, and the shower had a tub that she had no way to get into.
In addition to housing, not all classrooms are accessible. Sometimes long routes to elevators and through ramps often increase travel time enough so that disabled students might be late depending on where they are coming from. Social hubs like the Platt Student Performing Arts House are incredibly difficult to access without taking stairs.
According to a 2021 Daily Pennsylvanian article, Penn has no preexisting plans to improve accessibility in buildings on campus despite having more than enough money to finance minor changes. Furthermore, an old organization at Penn, Disability Advocacy @ Penn (DAP) was not able to become a member of 7B. However, there is new action being taken after the recent creation of the Disabled Coalition, a student group focused on empowering the disabled community through education. Student leaders and Penn administration, whether they are able-bodied or disabled, should look to them to learn how to make Penn more accessible. This is especially true for those who have a stake in programs, departments, and organizations, and can therefore suggest adjustments.
On a more insular level, there are ways for disabled students to navigate the inaccessibility of Penn. Take advantage of what resources exist and petition for them to be more accurate. Looking through the UPenn Facilities Service website can help students get a good idea of what to expect before going to a new building. Students can search the name of any campus buildings and a facilities.upenn.edu link will be one of the first to appear. At the bottom of each of these pages is a line that reads “Download Penn Access PDF.” These linked PDFs show visual maps of the building areas with arrows pointing to the various accessible entrances and detailed descriptions of how to navigate through them. The PDFs also have information on location and access to elevators and bathrooms.
While never perfect or fully comprehensive, some of the PDFs are more helpful than others. The access PDF for Houston Hall (the student union building which contains study spaces, meeting rooms, and a popular dining location) includes an extensive “Building Information” section that details six bulleted points on what is located in different areas of the building and what about them is accessible or not. One line reads: “The first floor is divided into large, open, informal meeting areas; some of these areas are two steps up and inaccessible. There are many meeting areas that are accessible, however, and any meeting could be moved to an accessible location.” Polarly different is the access PDF for 1920 Commons (one of the larger dining halls). The same “Building Information” section of this PDF consists of only one line which reads “The food lines are accessible, as are most eating areas.” Despite the fact that these are lacking, these PDFs have been some students’ saving grace while on campus.
Reaching out to the building managers or contacts if there is something wildly inaccurate or missing about these maps can sometimes be successful or useful. Students can also ask those managers for private tours of the building. Their contact information can be found on those facilities pages.
It is unjust that there don’t seem to be any representatives employed at Penn who are regularly fact-checking these accessibility documents, which leaves students forced to advocate for themselves. Disabled students should not have to put in so much work to be able to freely navigate student life as well as any abled-bodied student.
Resources
Penn Disorientation Guide 
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