Spotty Lighting on Campus Raises Accessibility Concerns

University of Richmond students have raised concerns about physical accessibility on campus, including a lack of adequate lighting at night. 

Sophomore Saige Beatman, a member of the Spiders Safety Committee, has to use her phone flashlight to navigate campus at night. Even high-traffic areas like the second-floor entrances to Tyler Haynes Commons and the stairs on the path between Lora Robins Court and the Heilman Dining Center are poorly lit, she said.

“It's very hard to see at night,” Beatman said. “I've had experiences where it's almost dangerous.”

When The Collegian investigated the areas Beatman mentioned, it found several lampposts with dead bulbs. 

Beatman believes that UR should put more resources toward lighting, calling it an easy fix. 

“Having the lighting is an easy way of fixing a problem that doesn't need to be a problem,” Beatman said.

Senior Sam Schwinger worries about the lack of lighting for drivers on campus roads, he said. He pointed out Lakeview Lane as an area of particular concern, especially since wildlife is sometimes present. 

“It does get very dark,” Schwinger said. “I think it's definitely impairing drivers early in the morning and late at night.”

Schwinger’s headlights help when he is driving through campus, but he has to use a phone flashlight when walking, he said.

“My concern about the walking aspects is that there's definitely a bunch of cracks in the sidewalks,” he said. “So I've definitely slipped a few times”

Junior Amal Ali, the president of the Disability Student Ambassadors, said that she had additional concerns about physical accessibility on campus, including missing signage. 

“I think a good long-term accessibility goal would be improving the physical accessibility of campus,” Ali said. “Having either a temporary or a permanent physical disability, it is hard to navigate with the lack of proper signage and accessible routes.”

The Disability Student Ambassadors is a student organization that works on improving all forms of accessibility, Alil said. 

Cort Schneider, the director of disability service, believes it is important for UR to constantly work toward improving accessibility despite geographic constraints, he said. 

“To a certain extent, the topography of the campus is what it is,” Schneider said. “You can't make the hills go away. But, it is something that we're constantly working on adjusting.”

Schneider, who has cerebral palsy and navigates the campus on crutches, said that there was not a particular area of campus that he found inaccessible. He also acknowledged that students could face many different physical obstacles and that people with disabilities had to think about things that might never have occurred to others. 

“The hills and the heat can be a challenge,” Schneider said. “You have to give yourself plenty of time to walk from point A to point B, right? So you have to think about that.”

Beatman recommended that students who felt unsafe on campus at night download the Safe Spider App, which allows users to share their location with the UR Police Department. She has never had to use that function but feels safer knowing that she has it, especially when walking through dark areas coming back from late-night study sessions, she said. 

“It makes me feel safe knowing that I have an option,” Beatman said.

Students who struggle with campus accessibility can also apply with Disability Services for a disability accommodation by visiting Schneider’s drop-in hours or going to its website. Disability Services can additionally help injured students with temporary adjustments, Schneider said. 

“I think we do a great job,” Schneider said. “But you can always improve. Even if you're doing a great job, you can even be better.”

Contact news writer Kalina Kulig at kalina.kulig@richmond.edu.