Varsity
70 celebrating
years
The official student newspaper of the university of cape town
2 October 2012
Volume 71: Edition 11
varsitynewspaper.co.za
@varsitynews
varsitynewspaper
Broken lift causes havoc 2012 SRC report card
Disabled students left without access to Disability Day House for a month Olivia Wainwright
T
Image: michael.currin.co.za END OF TERM – Incumbent SRC members share a light-hearted moment as their year in office draws to a close. The 2013 SRC takes office on November 1st. For the 2012 edition of VARSITY’s annual SRC Report Card, turn to page 8. do we maintain a student’s dignity if they have to be met on the top level of the building where we have no offices?” She explained that during this time, some students had to be met on level six of Steve Biko, where Disability Services have no offices. They either had to borrow someone’s office or meet in the hallway; this was, at times, to the embarrassment of the student. The broken lift has called into question the location of Disability Services. Konghot explained, “We are not accessible. We can make the whole campus accessible, but we are not accessible.” She explained that, even when the lift is fully functional, their location
is less than ideal. In the past, they have had to call an ambulance for students with epilepsy.
“it’s not the first time I have been unable to access the disability services.” The ambulance services have not been able to take the patient up to the ambulance on a gurney. The gurneys will not fit in the lift and this has meant that students have had to be taken to level 6 in a wheelchair, and then transferred onto a gurney. Guy Davies, a part-time lecturer at UCT and the manager and owner
of Disability Solutions, was due to give a lecture at disability services on the day the lift broke. He himself is a wheelchair user and at least one other person who was attending the lecture was unable to use the stairs. Davies explained that, “It’s not the first time I have been unable to access the disability services. Access is always going to be a problem.” Davies also raised concerns about the way in which those with mobility impairments would be evacuated in an emergency. A UCT student who wished to remain anonymous expressed disappointment with UCT’s disability facilities. “My father is in a wheelchair and my parents attended my graduation ceremony
in December 2011. I arranged wheelchair access to Jameson Hall well in advance for the ceremony. We were able to park close and access the hall easily.” However, the student and her family experienced difficulty getting to the Maths Building for photographs. “There is no wheelchair access that we could find from Jameson to Molly Blackburn, where we had to take the lift down to University Avenue... the difficulties getting to the photos actually ruined the whole day. If there was an easier way, there was no one around to show it to us.” The Disability Service can be contacted on 021-650 2427 or dsadisabilityservice@uct.ac.za.
in this issue
he breakdown of the only lift in the Steve Biko Students’ Union left UCT’s Disability Service without the use of a lift for nearly a month. The Service’s offices are located on level four and the elevator was out of order from August 27th to September 25th. The broken mechanism that left the lift inoperative, had to be sent to Johannesburg to be fixed and the repair took longer than was hoped. Edwina Konghot, UCT’s Barrier Free Access Co-ordinator from the Disability Service explained that the broken lift put them in a difficult position. Konghot stated: “It created a barrier as disability services could not be accessed.” The broken lift also meant that physically disabled and chronically ill students were unable to write tests at the Disability Service office; the department had to relocate them to other, more accessible spaces. Not only were wheelchairand crutch users prevented from reaching the Disability Services, but those with chronic illnesses who would not be able to use the stairs could not get to their vital day house. André Theys, Head of Engineering Services at UCT, explained that the fault was reported immediately and that the Maintenance Help Desk informed the Disability Unit about the nature of the fault. “The Disability Service office is available via telephone or email during office hours for students or staff members who cannot access the office because of the lift failures,” said Theuys. However, Denise Oldham, the Direct Services Co-ordinater from the Disability Services, asked, “How
Active citizens
page 2
Chivalry - dead?
page 5
Free Pussy Riot
page 11
Best Bollocks
page 12
Sport Shorts
Varsity, the official student newspaper since 1942, is committed to the principles of equality and democracy.
page 15