[462 Student's Eye] Does Dongguk University Lack Accessibility Facilities?

   In an era where diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of societal discourse, Lee Chae-rin argues on accessibility issues at Dongguk University's campus.

The importance of accessibility

   Students with disabilities face relatively many challenges in their daily lives. In the case of our school, this is compounded by the fact that it is located in the mountains and has numerous inclines. That is why our buildings, classroom libraries, and other areas of the school need to be designed to ensure accessibility, that allow all students to be independently active on the school campus.

Current lack of accessibility

   Since I am a student of the College of Humanities, the first thing I thought of was the accessibility of Myeongjin Hall. In the case of Myeongjin Hall, entering the building is fine as there is a small ramp, but the lack of an elevator makes it very difficult for wheelchair users to access the building. I wouldn't dare to say how inconvenient it would be if the lectures were held on the second or third floor. In the case of the main library, they do have elevators, and I believe that the circumstances are better. However, the Myeongiin Hall may not be accessible at all.

   Furthermore, there are elevators in other buildings other than Myeongjin Hall, but they usually only have one per building.

   These elevators are also heavily used by the general student population. This means that students with disabilities may not be able to use the elevator immediately and may have to wait for a long time. The school needs to improve accessibility, including installing additional elevators to reflect the sloping nature of the campus due to the Namsan mountain.

Possible improvements

   The lack of accessibility could be seen as a violation of the rights of disabled students to an equal educational opportunity. I believe that it is absolutely necessary for schools to make efforts to ensure the inclusion of students with disabilities. They should prioritize inspecting the facilities in existing facilities and develop plans to address the lack of accessibility. In addition, there should be a collaborative effort between school administrators and disability organizations to actively support students with disabilities. This will not only improve facilities but also ensure that they are managed and maintained efficiently.

   In reality, Dongguk University is making various efforts in order to ensure accessibility for all. Exceptionally, Myeongjin Hall, because it was designated as a cultural property, is unavailable to install an elevator in the building. However; efforts are being made to mitigate inconveniences by giving students with disabilities priority in class placement and classrooms, and assigning them 1:1 assistants. As seen through Lee Chae-rin's opinion article, such aides Dongguk provides are not generally known. Therefore, focusing on accessibility is seen to be needed to be combined with efforts in advertising such solutions.