“What does UGBC even do?” You’ve probably heard someone ask this question. While student governments are established to advocate for student needs and create actionable policies, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) is a constant subject of jokes and slander.
“Not everyone’s in a wheelchair, but that doesn’t mean I’m not struggling,” Julia Arnese, director of CSD and MCAS ’20, said.
Boston College addressed the issue via a correspondence with a student on its Facebook page.
Students and faculty continue efforts to increase accessibility on BC’s campus.
The federal and state governments are now investigating Boston College for potentially violating laws regarding accessibility.
Last month, UGBC established the Council for Students with Disabilities to plan initiatives and events that will raise visibility and help to foster change.
Some students contend that recent changes seeking to enable accessibility on campus are barely scratching the surface of problems surrounding access at Boston College.
The University made some significant changes to the campus to improve campus accessibility over the summer, but students and faculty have concerns that have not been addressed.
Over the summer, Judy Ferres, associate director of the Office for Institutional Diversity (OID), helped create a website that provides students with disabilities one central location where they can access information about how to get around on campus.
In front of Devlin Hall, which houses Boston College’s admissions office, is a ramp. There are handrails on each side, and it looks like a person using crutches or a wheelchair could navigate up and down it with ease.
