As a mobility-impaired individual in my first semester at UMBC, I've had enough of being patronized with canned responses and no action when accessibility concerns are expressed. This was brought to a head today after driving around for two hours to find a parking spot, but the day my service dog fell twice on icy walkways was also an eye-opener for me. I've encountered more issues with accessibility at UMBC in less than one semester than I had in 4 1/2 years at community college. Therefore, I have decided to do something about it. They say "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" and I plan to be that wheel. 

I will be attending UMBC for at least the next four years, which makes me very invested in improving accessibility and inclusiveness on campus. I plan to work with members of SGA and others to give voice to these issues so that action will be taken. Additionally, I am meeting with the ADA Compliance Officer, Stephanie Lazarus, and a member of the Planning Department this week to discuss some of these issues and possible solutions. 

We will be discussing the lack of available handicapped accessible parking now that all of the Parking Lot 8 accessible spots have been removed. My hope is that this meeting will open a dialogue and an avenue to give voice to other accessibility issues as they arise or are made known. I also plan to mention the difficulties with the accessible routes that I have personally encountered, the goal being to make traveling those routes easier for all students, faculty, and staff who rely upon them.