I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore. What is wrong with Ryerson? Do they know It’s 1995? Has anyone heard of the word access? I know that there are access doors in Jorgenson Hall, but when they don’t function you have to find an elevator. If that elevator doesn’t work or it’s crowded and people don’t get out of your way, life can be aggravating. To get to the basement of the Business building you have to use the service elevator. I won’t even mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent creating one of the most access unfriendly buildings in the community – the Rogers communications building. I’m not in a wheelchair, but some of my friends are. Until I spent a lot of time with them trying to access various places around Toronto, I had no idea how maddening it can be. When you go out to dinner, coffee or a movie, you immediately have to think about whether or not that 6” step of useless concrete is blocking your path. Suddenly you find that you are no longer free to make choices based on taste. The reason for this access atrocity is ignorance. People just don’t think about it. Business owners think it would cost too much to make their establishments accessible. This is short-sighted because it would actually bring them a lot more business. I shouldn’t have to try to justify or convince people! I truly believe it is every person’s basic human right to go wherever the hell they please. Why there aren’t laws to protect this right is beyond me. It should be illegal to create any piece of architecture in this country that isn’t barrier-free. Establishments that are currently inaccessible should be given adequate notice to modify their structure. Anyone who does not comply should be fined heavily. It should be enforced in building codes that every new building has to be access free. Come on people, ignorance is no longer an excuse.
J.C. Dietrich
Continuing Education
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