Is IE Segovia Campus' infrastructure the best for disabled people?
The IE Segovia Campus is a declared site of Cultural Interest and is therefore very restricted when it comes to remodelling or making adaptations to their building. Nevertheless, we questioned if the campus is properly adapted for disabled people and if something could be done to improve its accessibility.
Gerardo Santos, responsible for infrastructure at the Segovia Campus, stressed the issue of how IE cannot make any changes until a proposal doesn’t go through the Heritage Commission, once the approval is received, the proposal is forwarded to the Council to ask for a building license. IE University works with their own architects which have to send a Technical Commission to engineers.
“Once we have all that, it's when we start doing something, which is what they leave us. The whole site is protected so even though it has no historical value we cannot touch anything,” expressed Santos.
Currently, the situation for the accessibility of the campus is that there is one elevator and some ramps available at one of the sides of the main building}. Yet, Santos wanted to clarify that,
“We are not maladjusted. We comply with the regulations and we are obliged to comply with them,” and then went on to explain the current situation.
“The building is accessible vertically, we have an elevator but we cannot put more. We would have to put at least one on each side, but there is no feasible way to put it,” commented Gerardo Santos.
“It is true that the centre does not facilitate access for the handicapped, but it is very difficult to adapt the campus since, it being a protected building, practically nothing can be done,” confessed Rocio the university’s nurse.
Lou Bayonas, a student who is currently on crutches and a wheelchair told us about her experience at the campus.
“The elevator is very far and difficult to get to, and then you take like fifteen to twenty minutes to walk across to the other part. In fact, it has forced me to go from crutches to a wheelchair because my doctor said I was walking for too long,” said Lou.
Yet she stressed how everyone has cooperated to her well being and understands that the building cannot be modified.
“Thankfully, the staff and people are incredibly nice. I manage to go through a door on the second floor and take the elevator,” and added “I understand is difficult to facilitate stuff, but I’ve realised that I cannot access some departments or rooms because the stairs, and so for permanent situations the building is not ideal,” confessed Lou.
In previous occasions, IE has approached the situation with a mentality of “ if needed, we do it.” Both Rocio, the campus nurse, and Gerardo expressed this was the ongoing mentality as the issue was very punctual and is not a pressing challenge.
“Right now the demand is punctual, it's practically nothing. We have a wheelchair and two sets of loan crutches and whenever someone has needed it, it has been borrowed. As you are young, the limitation is less than if you were an older person,” explained the nurse.
Gerardo explained how they worked on previous occasions with a student with reduced mobility.
“We had a student who came with crutches, had a degenerative disease and as time went by we were changing their classrooms so that she did not have any problems. We made a special pass for her, so she could enter and exit through the handicapped entrance,” said Gerardo.
The conclusion is, they can’t do anything because the building limitations do not allow them to. Nonetheless, if a case arises in which they need to change and adapt, all the means necessary for the comfort of the person will be provided.
“Accessibility problems with wheelchairs have been more on the case of parents, in some ceremony or event, but it is because they do not warn us. Therefore, we need coordination from everyone,” explained Santos.
At IE Segovia, classrooms have been reformed with two level steps. The access to some departments, classrooms can only be accessed with steps or stairs. Hence, in the case of an IE student with the reduced mobility, Santos explained what would be done.
“We would have to adapt the building to their mobility. Change the classrooms, making them close to the accesses. Adapt the new classes, change them since there is no space for a ramp.” said Santos.
Lou, our temporary wheel chaired student states how ramps need to be revised, making them wider and less inclined.
“A big problem with the wheelchair (even though it is electric) is that I have to deal with the ramps, and they are very scary. In fact, yesterday I fell from one. I guess it was the inclination and maybe they should be a bit wider because they are very narrow,” she then added that when she was on crutches, “Sometimes I would rather take the stairs down with the crutches because it was so exhausting to walk across, and my hands hurt, even if the steps are scarier.”
On another note, Gerardo insisted that IE has no obstacle for these types of students to come. He clarifies that, in the admission test, nobody asks you about your condition.
Santos wanted to remark that if students want changes of any kind regarding infrastructure the procedure is,
“You have to promote the changes first by the faculty for your school, and then they are the ones that are transmitted upwards,” and “ for closed infrastructure go to your faculty and for open-air infrastructure go through the Vice Rector.”
To compare with IE Madrid Campus, Santos told us the advantage was its a new building and it has two elevators. However, it has also had it´s issues.
“The issue is the other way round, they have so many students that whenever I go, I use the stairs,” said Santos.
Hence, regarding the issue of “Is IE Segovia Campus adapted to disabled people?” the answer is legally yes, but practically no, and what they are doing right now is put all their efforts on the new Madrid Campus.
“All our efforts are already directed to the tower. Scheduled for 2020/2021. Of course, as it´s new, we do not have any limitations and the tower will be accessible to everyone,” stated Santos.
Around IE Segovia Campus, there is a pressing rumor that Segovia Campus will disappear and IE will move everything to Madrid. Talking to Santos, this idea was discredited.
“The business plan is to fill the Madrid tower and to fill Segovia. Here we still have room for growth, as you can see this year we implemented new planning schedules of entry and exit, meal times and other organisational decisions in order to have more students here,” said Gerardo Santos.
“We are growing a lot and the idea is to keep doing it,” said Santos.
In brief, Santos says there is still room for growth. On our previous article, Juan responsible for the acquisition of a new residency for IE students said, Segovia will turn into a “university” city, and that his conversations with IE, were that everyone will pass through Segovia and then to Madrid. So, what will the next steps for IE Segovia be? Sharing is caring but is do we have space? How long will it take for IE to make their growth wishes come true?
If you are interested in IE’s Segovia infrastructure keep updated on The Stork to read about the evacuation plan, possibilities of new arrangements regarding the cafeteria and the new building in Madrid.
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