UPEI student frustrated by lack of wheelchair access on campus

A UPEI student says he's spent the past six years feeling frustrated about his inability to get around campus.

Antwaun Rolle has been at UPEI since 2018 and is graduating this spring with a political science degree.

He gets around using a wheelchair. He says 80 to 90 per cent of the campus is inaccessible to him without help.

"Sometimes it's a little bit embarrassing, or sometimes I would feel like a burden because I didn't want to always ask people," said Rolle.

"The summers are a little bit easier, but I would say the winters are about impossible."

One example is an elevator inside the Kelley Memorial Building, which houses financial services and other offices.

"I would have to bring someone with me to assist me each time. But I cannot go in that elevator by myself," he said.

"It would also make me feel frustrated always frustrated over the last six years.

He said he raised the elevator issue with health and safety officials at the university, as well student affairs, but nothing has changed.

In a statement, the university said when students with disabilities have concerns about accessibility on campus, their first point of contact should be Accessibility Services, which can help with accommodations or retrofits to classrooms.

Ramp difficult to navigate

It also said accessibility was last reviewed in 2019, and anyone with concerns about the safety of aspace on campus should submit a report to the Health, Safety and Environment office.

Rollealso said the ramp to get onto campus from University Avenue is too steep and difficult to navigate.

"Getting up is almost nearly impossible, and getting down is dangerous because if I'm going down I'm going with speed and that's on a main road."

Rolle wants the university to hold a meeting on accessibility, so the issues are resolved for students who come after him.

"They should give us a future plan on how this won't happen again and how they're going to be committed to making the campus accessible."