GBM 9/28

Yesterdays discussion was such a success that we will continue our conversation of ableism at Duke tomorrow!

We’ll address a critical issue facing many students with physical disabilities: the ongoing lack of accessible infrastructure on campus. Several members of DNA—including students with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and wheelchair users—have faced major challenges simply entering academic buildings like the French Family Science Center, where doors remain extremely heavy and lack automatic openers.

Requests for accessibility updates have been under review for months, with projected timelines extending to 2025 or even 2026. For students living with chronic pain, joint instability, or mobility disabilities, waiting years for access is not reasonable—it’s exclusion.

We’ll be discussing:

• How physical inaccessibility shapes daily life for disabled students.

• The difference between “ADA compliant” and truly accessible.

• How to advocate for faster infrastructure changes.

• The role of ableism in campus policy and design decisions.

Our meeting will be at 7PM on 9/28, in room 207, Rueben-Cooke.