On the 2nd of August, the University of Birmingham’s Disability and Mental Health Students Association (DAMSA) put out a post on Instagram labelling the University of Birmingham ‘inaccessible’ and arguing that the Commonwealth Games have exacerbated the situation.

This was due to the experience of one of their members. On the 29th of July, the member found that as a wheelchair user, the Games had become an obstacle to them entering campus. The only dropped curb leading onto campus from Selly Oak had been blocked off due to the Commonwealth Games. They were therefore forced to take a longer route which still did not yield a dropped curb. Eventually they had to be carried by members of the public and police offers, something the DAMSA post referred to as ‘humiliating and demeaning.’ The member, still trying to find a way onto campus, had to travel in the road which is particularly unsafe because there is an increased number of buses on the roads due to the Games.

Clara found that as a wheelchair user, the Games had become an obstacle to her entering campus

DAMSA said that many routes around campus as well as into it have been blocked due to the Games. This, they said, is problematic as it runs down wheelchair battery. In addition, they complained that some of the available routes have uneven surfaces and ‘cause more pain.’

DAMSA wrote ‘it goes without saying that this experience is a horrific one, and one that could have been avoided with proper care and planning.’ They made the point that ‘nobody should be stripped of their dignity in this way simply by attempting to access their place of study.’ They were particularly concerned by the fact that ‘the Commonwealth Games are supposed to be accessible events.’ They argued that UoB has a ‘duty’ to ensure accessibility ‘especially when they are paying £9k a year for the privilege.’

it goes without saying that this experience is a horrific one, and one that could have been avoided with proper care and planning

DAMSA have made the following demands:

‘- A public apology from the University Estates office and the Commonwealth Games organisers

– Compensation for the humiliating and unsafe experience, and time wasted

-An answer to the question of if there were any wheelchair users or disabled students involved in the accessibility arrangements

– If the answer to that question is no: why it was not the case, and reassurances that wheelchair users or disabled students will be properly consulted in the future.’

DAMSA have issued a complaint but asked others to make their own and to share their post. They said that ‘Disabled students at this University are rarely listened to – we are frequently fighting battles with poorly maintained lifts and tied up cords in accessible bathrooms – and your allyship in these situations is really helpful.’

Redbrick contacted the University, whose spokesperson said: ‘We take the accessibility requirements of our community very seriously.

Throughout the planning for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we have been committed to ensuring that our campus remains open and accessible for all of our staff and students.

While the incident occurred on a public road and not on the University of Birmingham’s property, we acted immediately with Birmingham 2022 to make temporary changes to improve accessibility on the public highway while the Games took place.

We have been committed to ensuring that our campus remains open and accessible for all of our staff and students

Within 24 hours of learning of the incident, our Estates team also installed temporary ramps on University land while the additional improvements were made. We continue to work with partners to ensure a safe and accessible campus.’

They also provided this additional information:

‘We housed over 200 para-athletes and team staff with disabilities at the Vale Village during the Commonwealth Games period. We welcomed the GAPS Programme onto campus, which saw 33 para-athletes from around the world participate in a six-day staging camp. The para-athletes stayed at Peter Scott House and Edgbaston Park Hotel during their stay, both of which are fully accessible. More information is available here.

We are hosting the 2023 International Blind Sport Federation World Games on campus.

Finally, our Pritchatts Park development has a strong focus on accessibility and will double our capacity of bedrooms suitable for wheelchair users by 2024.’

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