The Eighth Floor

[autymn]

I work as a Physical Disabilities Specialist at a rather well known university which for my and my employers protection will remain namiless. Myself, I am blind and have neurological disabilities that result in fun things happening with the use of elevators (weeeeeee!) I also work with a service dog. Someone in university administration thought it brilliant to place our department on the eighth floor on the periphery of campus! This either means multiple trips up and down seven flights of stairs for me a day - something that is very taxing on my body/CNS or multiple rides on the elevator that causes its own set of issues. Oh, and of the three elevators, we're lucky if two are working.

And need i even mention the problem being on the eighth floor raises for the students I serve who use wheelchairs, crutches, or other mobility devices?!

Supposedly "they" have been working to get our department moved for "some time." Whatever that means.

Comments

Re: A disabilities office on the eighth floor is the height of stupidity.

[exor674]

Isn't hiding the stairs bad for other reasons too?

Like... I dunno... "Oh shit the building's on fire!!!!"

Re: A disabilities office on the eighth floor is the height of stupidity.

[ladygzb.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

Each time we're there, we keep looking for a fire evacuation route posted by the elevators, because we think that's pretty dumb too.

It would be a very COMPLICATED route. Because among other things, there is no single stairwell. To go up several floors, firs you go up one flight. Then you cut through a staff-only area--you might cross half the building--to another set of stairs. Then you cross ANOTHER staff-only area.

(This is why it's too much of a hassle to get security to escort us through the stairs. Instead, I just get my husband to half-carry me out of the elevators, sit me in a chair, and check me in for my appointment.)

The layout is perplexing--and frankly stupid.

Re: A disabilities office on the eighth floor is the height of stupidity.

[exor674]

This is going way off topic but, I totally love freaky evac. plans -- one of the classrooms at my school is right next to a parking lot exit -- but nooo the evac plan takes you through the building, to a walled-off courtyard, up 2 flights and along the building to a parking lot you could also have gotten to from the other door by just would involve walking up a hill instead of trapped in the middle of a potentially burning building.

Re: A disabilities office on the eighth floor is the height of stupidity.

[pauamma]

That was my first thought too.