Michelle H & Olivera's Fun Date at SFU

        We, Michelle (Huang) and Olivera, met in downtown Vancouver and decided to commute to Simon Fraser University for our Accessible Date. We chose downtown Vancouver, specifically Burrard Street and Robson Street, so that we can see how spaces are constructed with the assumption of a “normal” body within the transit system. The bus was our choice of public transportation, as it was the most affordable and convenient transit. Given that the number 135 bus from Burrard Street has the most frequent arrival times and is a direct ride to SFU, we decided that it would be our best choice.

135 Bus

SFU elevator

        From our experience the bus seemed to be quite accessible. It has a special technique to help individuals that use a wheelchair access the bus. The bus met our expectations; it was clean and had enough space for two wheelchairs. Upon arrival to the University we noticed that ‘able-bodied’ individuals had immediate access to stairs to get to the second floor of the campus; however, it requires more time and effort for people with wheelchairs. The reason for that was because the sign that directs you to the elevator was not very visible and clear. Most importantly, the elevator was about 300m away from the bus stop, which makes people with disabilities more detrimental, especially during bad weather conditions. We decided to have our lunch at the Highland Pub which is located on the 2^nd floor of the Student Services Centre, the pathway from the elevator was open and easy to access. Also, once you enter the automatic door to the building, you can easily see the technique helper for people with disabilities to get to the upper floor; however, according to the employee, it does not work properly, therefore people in the wheelchair have to spend more time to get to the elevator that is located 300m away. Furthermore, they have to ring the bell at the elevator in order for them to get extra help. In contrast, able-bodied people can just take the stairs to get to the restaurant. When we got out of the elevator, we noticed that the hallway leading to the restaurant was only big enough for one wheelchair. Other than that everything else, such as the seating and moving around was sufficient for wheelchair access. In addition the bathrooms were accessible for wheelchair users of both sexes. In conclusion our experience at the Highland Pub was that it was a public space constructed for all.

Restaurant

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Seating space
        After our meal, we decided spend some time at the Higher Grounds coffee shop to have some privacy. We realized that the food and drinks in the upper part of the refrigerator were only accessible for average height standing people; the counter height for milk and cream seem to be a challenge for non-standing people to reach. Even though there were some limitations, there were barista’s who were friendly and eager to help. Also, we had wide space to sit around, but the high chairs on one side of the coffee shop were clearly only designed for the “normal” body.

Coffe Shop
        After having our private time we decided to go around the campus for sightseeing. We wanted to get to the upper level floor to see the fishes in the ponds, unfortunately there were only stairs available to the upper level. Once again, we had to find an elevator to access the upper level, which was located inside the building, but the elevator was easy to look for and get access to it. The sunny day made our date pleasurable and joyful; we got to see the Terry Fox statue and the fishes in the pond which were all easy to access and visible. After walking around in the sun and exploring the garden, we used the same elevator access to get to the lower level floor to get to the SFU Art Gallery which is located inside the building.

         After a memorable but exhausting date we decided to end our date at Olivera’s house; however, the three small steps on the first floor leading into Olivera’s apartment made it impossible for people in wheelchairs to access, but the higher level floors do not have to pass these steps, because they have an elevator that takes them to the upper level homes. Overall, we had a memorable and cheerful date.

Olivera's apartment