Photoessay #2039 - Access Class #2

Yesterday I attended  the first class session during the regular fall quarter as an Access student. German 295 – Jews and German Culture. I had written the professor, he said I was welcome, I've done almost all of the reading, getting many of the books from the public library.

I had met with disability services strategizing alternatives for carrying a knapsack (which most all students do) which is what I did over the summer. I bought a small rolling bag and the idea is not have to lift it. I've got to start acting disabled if I'm going to make this work.

This is what I learned

a. This is NOT a small class. I thought that the limit was 10 people. I guess I'm not reading the time schedule correctly. 48 students in the class including 4 (?) access students. Also this class is part of a FIG (freshman interest group). I did enjoy the lecture and do have the syllabus.

 b. I won't have the same privileges as I did in the summer class. I asked the professor after class how he felt about Access students participating in class discussions. He said 'maybe, sometimes' but I shouldn't mind being cut off. His responsibility and commitment is to the undergraduates in the class, the paying customers. He did prompt the class for answers to various questions. The students who spoke up gave informed cogent answers. But it wasn't the all out, let's really talk about this atmosphere of the summer class.

c. Smith Hall accessible? It is, mostly, sort of but it was not obvious. By the time I got to class, I had been in the wrong building, went up and down lots of stairs, dragging my roller bag hither and yon. So, after class, I located the one funky elevator; it took several tries to get it to stop at an appropriate destination where there was a door outside so I didn't have to go up and down stairs.

There was a course pack I needed to purchase "at the print shop on the Ave". I had to buy one once and I thought I knew where it was. I dragged my bag a long way through the campus and found that place but turns out that there's three places to do it. I did find the right print shop but it involved a lot of walking and stairs.

d. I'm going to have to sit near the front or I won't be able to hear the professor, he kind of trails off at the end (I myself have been criticized for the very same thing) But I don't want to have look straight up onto the big screen. Despite the fancy technology available, he just used overheads.

e. The Route 372 bus is not a 'kneeling bus', where the front of the bus lowers to accommodate a wheelchair. So I had to lift my bag onto the bus. On the way back, I asked the bus driver how you were supposed to do it. He told me that the bus had a wheelchair lift and I should ask him if I wanted to use it. So I tried it getting off the bus. It's way slow and it makes this loud beeping noise. It did get me off the bus without having to lift my bag down the stairs which is what I really have to do. Embarrassing really, but that's what I'm going to have to do to get through this!

I did know that my summer class was pretty exceptional with 11 students, wide open discussion, the access student being given equal status and often the professor and the students went off and had lunch together.  I really got to know and appreciate some of the undergraduate students in the class.  I think this is more of the norm.

Picture Smith Hall 1957 from University of Washington Digital Archives