Out of order elevators cause problems for students

The elevators at UHCL have long been a point of discussion on campus. Elevators are not just for convenience; they accommodate students who are unable to climb the stairs. When the elevators are out of order, it becomes more of a challenge for these students to make it to and from class, the library or the computer labs on campus.

In recent Student Government Association meetings, the elevators often get brought up in conversation. One student said that while recently taking the elevator in the Student Services and Classroom Building (SSCB) the elevator went to the second floor with the doors not completely shut.

A few weeks ago the elevators on campus stopped during a power outage trapping students inside until power came back on. While elevators not working during a power outage isn’t anything out of the ordinary, some modern elevators have a technology called ARD (automatic rescue device) which, in case of a power outage, brings the elevator to the nearest floor so that people may get out.

Elevators have a lifespan of anywhere from 20 to 50 years with parts needing replacement much earlier than that. The elevators in both buildings have been around since the construction of the buildings. For the Bayou Building this would be 1974 and for the SSCB this would be 2004.

While our elevators meet the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation inspection standards, they aren’t meeting the standards we need as students. Even the elevators in the SSCB, a much newer building, still has issues with the elevators.

Last year, a student in a wheelchair was on an upper-level floor in the SSCB when the elevator bank went out at about 7 p.m. The student had to wait until a repairman was able to fix them, around 9 – 9:30 p.m. because there is only one set of elevators in the building. The student was offered the use of an Evacu-Trac, but this would mean that the student could be brought to the ground level while leaving their wheelchair on the top floor.

While things happen from time to time, this cannot become the norm on campus. If this happened later at night or on the weekend who knows how quickly the repairman would be able to get there. Even if they are able to get to campus, what if they need to order a part to fix the elevator? What do students who rely on the elevators do in the case of fire drills – not to mention the real thing.

The backup plan for any emergency situations is Evacu-Tracs. These medical evacuation chairs are good for situations where the student needs to get out of the building immediately. Though a student would be able to be brought safely down the stairs, their wheelchair would remain at the top of the stairs which would mean that this is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Not to mention that Evacu Tracs will not help a student who needs to ascend the stairs. Another issue occurred when a student in a wheelchair needed to attend class in the SSCB computer lab, but the elevators were out of order so they were not able to attend class for a few days. Fortunately, the professor was accommodating, but almost all of the computer labs on campus are on upper-level floors.

Disability Services was unfortunately not involved with the planning for the new STEM, Rec and Wellness Center, or Residence Hall building. It would be ideal if Disability Services was able to provide guidance in making sure that buildings on campus are as accessible as possible to all students.

Elevators can be upgraded through modernization though that may be putting just another Band-Aid on the situation. There should be a better backup plan in place for each building. This backup plan should be able to be used in a situation such as a fire, power outage or active shooter situation where people unable to take the stairs could escape the building by themselves. This could include a freight elevator on a generator, an outside lift on a generator, or even just a ramp on the outside of each building.

Proper elevator maintenance needs to occur proactively instead of reactively to ensure that the elevators run smoothly for as long as possible, though after a building, such as the Bayou Building, has been around 44 years elevator outages are going to happen. Replacing elevators, including ramps outside buildings, adding an outside lift or freight elevator on a generator may be expensive, but it may save lives. At the very least it prevents people from being stranded. Working elevators and a backup plan are important for students who are unable to climb the stairs to be able to go freely to and from class. This is not an issue of convenience it is an issue of accessibility.