Campus Access: Bookstore access concerns

Columns January 7, 2019

Like many of the spaces on campus, Camosun’s Lansdowne bookstore is not without its faults in regard to access issues. That’s not to say that it isn’t accommodating when necessary; it’s just that accommodation and access shouldn’t have to be thought about.

At the bookstore, getting through the shelves of books is a tight squeeze, but it’s not so tight that one can’t make do. The big display table right by the doors is a little bit troubling to manoeuvre around, but it too can be done.

As usual, it comes down to lack of space. However, these are minor issues of inconvenience rather than impossibility. The biggest problem isn’t actually obvious until you proceed to the checkout.

Campus Access is a column looking at how Camosun College is doing with accessibility issues; it appears in every issue of Nexus.

When a student draws up to the counter, they are faced not with the kind smile of an employee: anyone in a wheelchair is faced with a wall of candy at eye level.

While the temptation of sweets does drain the willpower a little, it isn’t enough to draw attention away from the fact that seeing over the counter is impossible; payment also becomes an issue because of this.

Although many would say that the next step would be addressing these issues, the height of the counter already has a fix. Trouble is, it isn’t easy to spot, especially for new students trying to figure out 1,000 other things at once.

Although it probably isn’t common knowledge, the wheelchair access counter in the bookstore is around the left side of the checkout, next to the drink fridges and behind a display stand. The sign for the counter is pitifully small and can only be seen if one is standing near the side of the checkout, which also presents an issue for those with visual impairments.

Upon my discovery of the access counter, I noticed a large box had been discarded right in the space, a clear sign that the counter gets little use or attention.

While these are relatively small issues in the grand scheme of things, they still matter. Perhaps Camosun could enlarge the existing sign and add something closer to the store entrance.

Considering that there is an access point already in place, one could argue that the problem is non-existent or has already been modified to provide access. The trouble is that there’s nothing practical about this access point.