Students: Speak out for Disabled Access
The University is considering whether to take out a disabled access lift that was recently installed in the University Old Schools buildings. We need to speak out to keep the lift!
There is a model letter that you can use here.
Here's the story:
Earlier this year, several academics spoke out against the construction of a lift into the Old Schools combination room- a lift which would significantly improve accessibility in the Old Schools. Their objections targeted the lack of consultation about the proposed lift, as well as concerns about the aesthetic impact of the lift. Although the lift has been installed, costing several hundreds of pounds, there is now a referendum of academics about whether to remove the lift and then to consider whether to reinstall it, an operation which would cost roughly £600,000. We are calling upon students to contact their tutors, supervisors, lecturers and Senior Tutors and ask them to vote "no" in the ballot.
Cambridge University Students' Union spoke out in favour of the lift, because tackling the widespread inaccessibility of University buildings is not only necessary for legal compliance with equalities legislation, but also because CUSU stands by the ethos that no individual should be disadvantaged because of disability. Now that the future of the lift lies in a referendum of academics, we need to act to ensure that accessibility, and not bureaucracy, determine the outcome.
We can only stop this from happening if enough students speak out. Send a letter to your tutor, supervisors, Senior Tutor, DOS, and any other academic you know. Get involved in making sure our University supports equality and accessibility!
