This is a model letter you can use to get in touch with Cambridge fellows to urge them to vote against removing the lift in the Old Schools.
You can also download it here.
Dear
I am writing to you about the current ballot on whether to remove the newly constructed wheelchair-accessible lift into the Old Schools Combination Room. The ballot has come about because a group of academics have voiced concerns about the consultation process preceding the construction, and the aesthetic impact of the lift. I would like to express that regardless of the process leading up to the construction of the lift (which has already been apologized for), it is my belief that the lift ought to remain in the Old Schools.
It is of paramount importance that we tackle discrimination against disabled people, and making the Old Schools wheelchair accessible is an important step towards making the University as inclusive as possible. Furthermore, removing the lift would be a decision to make a building which is currently compliant with equalities legislation no longer be compliant. I am concerned about what this means for the University's equality policies and its legal obligations, and for the staff and students who will no longer be able to access the Combination Room.
Removing the lift, and then potentially re-installing it, would also represent a gross misuse of funds. The installation of the lift has already been a significant investment, and the removal would be an additional cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Keeping the lift is not only the most financially sensible option, it is also the option which supports an ethos of accessibility. All members of the Regent House will be receiving ballot papers, which must be returned by the 8th July. I urge you to vote "non placet" in the ballot, and support accessibility and inclusivity.
Sincerely,