Sussex might be famous for its psychological research, but it should be infamous for its stairs (please stop scheduling my classes in Ashdown).
Is there really a finish line?
Accessibility is not a static goal. It’s an ongoing process, one that requires constant effort, evaluation, and improvement. With ever-progressing scientific and technological research, there will never be a ‘good enough’ because the bar is constantly shifting.
But in the world of higher education, where universities pride themselves on being progressive and inclusive, the reality of accessibility often falls short of the glossy brochures.
University is already inaccessible to many people for hordes of reasons including poverty, educational inequality, and a lack of support. The barriers are daunting, but when you get past the hurdle of being accepted and funded, the challenges for some only continue, particularly for those with disabilities.
Of course, Sussex, like many universities, acknowledges the accessibility challenges it faces. Listing areas for improvement and providing contact numbers for those who want to push for change, but the question is, will it happen? Or will they just display an awareness of it?
Student experience
Before I switched courses, I was one of over 600 students who sat in the Jubilee Lecture Theatre for a psychology session. There are only 500 seats. Needless to say, this isn’t the best environment for someone in need of accessible seating, most of which will have been taken up by other students who don’t want to be a part of the nearly 200 left standing. It’s common for people who have never struggled with such a thing to be ignorant to it, but once you start paying attention, it’s hard to stop.
At Sussex, there are five accommodations listed as having accessible rooms: Lewes Court, East Slope (Bodiam), Swanborough, Stanmer Court and Northfield, all at a lovely rate of over £190 per week. Not to mention their limited number of such spaces available, and the arduous battle one must endure to claim them.
Due to the expensive nature of installing accessible features, they are rather limited to occasionally functional elevators. Why bother using your funding to create more spaces and routes for disabled students when you could just add a Costa to the library? Or a completely new accommodation complex that drives up prices for lower-income students, essentially blocking them from access to this institution of higher education?
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So, with an already limited number of spaces available, students with disabilities are often left scrambling. Even if you do manage to secure accessible accommodation, you’re not out of the woods yet.
Issues with campus layout
Can’t use the stairs? No problem, here’s a really big, steep hill for you to ascend instead! And if that’s too much, there’s always the bus, which will take at least 10 minutes to leave North South Road because every single student on campus is trying to squeeze in. It’s as if the university is saying, “Sure, we’ll accommodate you—as long as you don’t mind putting in twice the effort and always have a buddy to help you around!”
But it’s not just physical disabilities. Aside from my own issues that I’ve had with understanding the extenuating circumstances offered, I got in touch with another student who voiced similar concerns with the system. Despite doctor’s notes being accepted by the support team, the route to getting there had only been found by asking a friend. It wasn’t something that was signposted or readily available for people to access. With increasing workloads looming and an emphasis on independent study, access to and understanding the procedures is vital, and yet seemingly out of reach.
There are signs of progress, Sussex and other universities are beginning to take accessibility more seriously, at least in theory. But it shouldn’t stop at “good enough.” The work of making higher education accessible to all is never truly finished. It’s an ongoing process that requires not just awareness, but a commitment to action, constantly improving and adapting to the needs of all students.
It’s time for institutions to stop patting themselves on the back for acknowledging the problem and start putting in the work to solve it. Until they do, the promise of accessibility will remain just that—a promise, unfulfilled and out of reach for those who need it most.