In December of 2021, The Baron released an article that brought attention to several issues regarding accessibility on the UNB Saint John campus. Over two and a half years later, we’ve decided to revisit this topic to review: Has UNB Saint John seen any improvements? How have ongoing construction efforts impacted campus accessibility?  

The Baron spoke with a few individuals to capture the student body’s initial thoughts.  

“I have a lot of joint pain concentrated in my knees, ankles, and hips, and I use a cane to get around,” said fourth-year history major Oakley Hart, “The lack of accessibility on campus was actually the last straw that drove me to get my cane.” 

Construction Challenges

One of the most notable factors impacting accessibility on campus as of the 2024 Fall Term is undoubtedly the consistent construction occurring on campus. With the Health and Social Innovation Centre project underway, there has been a new level of complexity regarding navigating campus for students to face. With outdoor access to Hazen Hall’s front doors now being within the outlined zone of construction, along with the main entrance to Ganong Hall, students are required to find alternative routes via the underground pedways. This creates many layers of confusion and excess time spent riding elevators or climbing stairs. This is far from the last time we’ll hear about confusing navigation in our assessment.  

Additionally, since the construction of the Hans W. Klohn Commons, the bus stop that connects to campus has been relocated to a position near the entrance of the UNB Saint John campus. For some, like Oakley Hart, this is deeply inconvenient.  

“I use the bus as my main form of transportation, and with the bus stop now being moved across campus, I find myself using it a lot less than I used to.” Hart explained, “I really only go out when I need to go to work now, and even then, the walk is a lot, especially after a long shift.” 

Elevator Access

Alongside construction, elevator access has emerged as a significant concern among UNB Saint John students, particularly around the newly renovated Student Center building. The reformed layout has heightened issues with navigating between each floor, and even more so, it has introduced a level of unpredictability. Students living in residence that utilize the campus’s pedway system have found themselves needing to use the elevator to reach the cafeteria, only to face additional stairs. Normally, the elevator would lead to a quick-access entrance to the cafeteria, but with the dining hall’s delayed construction, this system was not fully operational during the 2023-2024 academic year and continues to be out of service even now in the fall 2024 term. This situation was particularly problematic during the winter term when the elevator was out of service for an extended period. One student facing mobility issues recounted a situation where, due to the elevator being down from Thursday to the following Tuesday, they had to navigate multiple flights of stairs or trek uphill outside in the snow simply to get their meals for the day. 

These regular breakdowns not only disrupt daily routines, but they pose significant challenges for individuals with mobility issues. The persistent need to use stairs, as one student described, can be physically demanding and impactful on their academic experience.  

“There have been several days where I’ve had to go up the stairs and take at least 15 minutes to recover from it.” Hart described, “This has all had an incredibly negative effect on me, and there are a lot of days where I feel my learning is impacted because I’m more worried about having to take the stairs up or down, or because of an increase in the pain that distracts me.” 

Internal Pedways

One of UNB Saint John’s strong suits when it comes to student accessibility is the interconnecting pedways between some of the campus’ important buildings. Most, if not all tunnels consist of lightly sloped ground with railings for additional support. These pedways can be very helpful, minimizing the amount of time that students facing issues in their mobility need to spend navigating the campus’s landscaping.  

Though, like most things, even the campus’ best trait has its issues. As previously mentioned, the pedway system comes with a layer of complexity, especially with the added factor of construction, as previously mentioned. Currently, there is no accessible indoor pedway to the Ganong or Irving Hall buildings, meaning that during the winter months, regardless of personal circumstances and mobility, all students will need to make the walk from Oland or Hazen Hall to reach the other two buildings.  

“During the winter, people would most commonly use the tunnels to get around campus,” an anonymous student described, “but with the construction tearing down a building, and part of the tunnels with it, if you want to get to Ganong or Irving you have no choice but to go outside. Depending on the time of day, and how hard it is snowing, the paths might not be cleared yet, which could prove an issue for wheelchair users.” 

Accessibility in Residence

Though The Baron received a few complaints surrounding the Barry and Flora Beckett Residence, as well as the Collin B. Mackay residence, students had a lot to say about the Sir James Dunn building. 

“The Dunn’s emergency exit on the first floor is just stairs with no ramp.” A student living in the Sir James Dunn Residence said. This particular comment, though a bit shocking, is only the beginning.   

While the main entrance to the building has a wheelchair-accessible sidewalk, the path commonly used by students can be too steep, posing challenges for abled individuals, especially on icy days. To add, the absence of an elevator in Dunn makes facilities like the washing machine room inaccessible to wheelchair users. Concerns also extend to the showers in all three buildings, with inadequate space and amenities for wheelchair users. Although some of these issues can be attributed to Dunn’s status as the oldest residence building, it’s evident that there are broader concerns across all residences that require attention and resolution.  

Snow Removal and Outdoor Ramps

The Baron’s previous article regarding campus accessibility issues spoke about the removal of snow during the winter months. As of more recent snowy weather, it would seem that snow removal efforts have improved significantly. Plows and salt distribution teams can be very commonly spotted on campus after any amount of snowfall, and they quite often ensure safe, walkable ground in a timely manner. However, sometimes even if the pathways are clear, obstacles can still block the way for students facing mobility challenges.  

“Irving Hall and Hazen Hall both don’t have ramps, so anyone with a wheelchair, cart, or just an inability to go up stairs, needs to enter a different building and then either use the tunnels to get to Hazen, or enter through Ganong and then go through to Irving.” Says a third-year biology student. “Though, getting to Hazen has way more extra steps, with two elevator rides just to enter the building.” 

Doorway and Classroom Access

So, it’s been shown that navigating the buildings on campus can already prove a bit of a challenge, but it would also seem that some classrooms and other learning spaces may introduce yet another obstacle.  

Many of the doors across campus tend to come with a bit of weight, and commonly, only large lecture theatres are built with push-to-open activation switches. Even so, there have been cases on campus where these buttons, such as the one outside of the Ganong Hall Lecture Theatre, have been unintentionally covered. Generally, a student using any sort of assistance for walking, such as a wheelchair or walker, will likely find it difficult to access many of the campus’s smaller classroom environments. 

Furthermore, even once inside some classrooms, there can still be a lack of accessibility.  

“Some of the most frequently used labs do not have wheelchair-accessible counters for students to use.” Comments a third-year biology student on this matter.  

So.. overall?

The Baron’s assessment of accessibility on the UNB Saint John campus reveals many issues, some of which seem to resemble those mentioned in the 2021 article. Significant obstacles remain on the minds of students, including inadequate outdoor ramps, the inconveniently relocated bus stop, frequent elevator breakdowns, and inaccessible classrooms and residence facilities.  

Moving forward, it’s crucial for UNB Saint John to prioritize accessibility in all aspects of campus planning and development. Although construction is an inevitable barrier, there should be a level of urgency placed on repairing and improving many of the problem areas that have been highlighted by the student body.