Watauga Humane Society

Last fall my friends and I spent our Saturday volunteering at the Wagauga Humane Society. Most of our time was with the dogs and puppies. We walked them, washed week-old puppies, and helped clean up. It was a lot harder than I expected, but overall very rewarding.

The nice thing about the Humane Society is that it's built so that everyone can participate. The hallways are wide and there are big open spaces around the building and the entryway. This allows room to play with the pets, but also so if someone has to use a wheelchair or other aid they can get around easily. The back rooms and washrooms were the same way. The newly remodeled building was clean and attractively designed.

The main problem I saw were the cages the dogs were kept in. The cats had a few rooms where they could walk around free, but the dogs were kept two to a cage. The doors were difficult to open and a were sufficiently more narrow than the rest of the doorways. A dog would have to be brought out of the cage by someone else and the limited access limits volunteer opportunities for the disabled.

But the positives outweigh the negatives, so if you are looking for a good volunteer opportunity, I would highly recommend the Humane Society. The staff members and other volunteers are nice and ready to help, especially if you come ready to love on a pet.

(Individual, Volunteer)

Skiing

Every Wednesday for five weeks, a few of my friends and I drive up to Appalachian Ski Mountain for our beginning ski class. Having never skied before this class, it's been quite an interesting experience, but I don't regret a minute of it.

My first impression of the ski lodge was how well-designed it was. Granted, people with physical disabilities usually require special equipment, but I'll come back to that in a minute. It's a simple building that made it easy for my friends and I to get our equipment and lift ticket without hassle. The mountain consists of a range from slight slopes for learning basic skills to a Black Diamond for advanced skiers. It's primarily a teaching mountain, but is still aesthetically pleasing and easy to get around.

As far as Universal Design goes, the lifts are simple, slow enough to minimize falls and fast enough to to be timely. The stairs and inside of the lodge have textured floors and a few drainage areas to minimize falling and tripping. And for beginning skiers like me, there was plenty of instruction before lettings us roam freely on the slopes. 

For someone like my sister who can't walk, there are ski teams and special equipment that accommodate a sitting person, with room for legs and shorter poles for balance, like this: 

Although there wasn't anyone on the mountain who used these, it's a creative and accessible way for everyone to learn how to ski. Although I would recommend that you layer up - I fell more than expected, and even though it's been a mild winter and the snow wasn't real, it was cold. So wear protective ski pants, gloves, and a hat for sure. But even my friends who were taking snowboarding agreed that it was a fun environment, and the music playing helped to boost our moods, even when we hit the snow. Without a double, I would highly recommend Appalachian as a good location, no matter how little you know about skiing.

(Individual, Winter Activity)

Angela Davis

Angela Davis has dedicated her life to speaking against injustice, and her speech on January 24, the week after MLK Day, definitely reflected that. She spoke in Farthing Auditorium at 6 p.m. I sat in the back row in the balcony, with offered an interesting viewpoint from the perspective of Universal Design.

The presentation began with a gospel choir. The choir was loud and got everyone in the audience up and singing, but I was so far back and unfamiliar with the songs, so I was unable to understand what they were saying. Once Angela Davis began speaking, however, her voice was clear and understanding was not a problem, although reading her face was a bit difficult. But she was an engaging speaker, and her message made me think about my perspective on race and economic circumstances. Overall I'd rate her speech fairly high.

Farthing as a location served well for Angela Davis. Her first request was to "raise the house lights" so she could see the audience, and the wide open room helped visibility. I was seated on the back row, which consisted of a wide space and folding chair along the wall. This allowed plenty of room for wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, or crutches, should someone need space for those. If someone was content with this back row, getting into the seating would not pose any additional hassle.

However, should someone want to sit farther forward on the balcony, there would be a few problems. The hallway accommodates the slope of the seating with sets of stairs al the way down, instead of a gradual slope like on the first floor. The elevator is in an unclear location, and the hill leading to Farthing poses a problem for a student who has difficulty walking.

If I could, I would remodel the upper level hallway to model the lower level, or make sure a few seats on the lower level are reserved for disabled people at all times. Otherwise, all things considered, it's a fairly accessible location for all the events that it hosts.

(Individual, Lecture)

Mountaineers vs. Catamounts

The first Saturday after classes started, my friends and I decided to go to the App vs. Western basketball game.

I'd only ever been to high school games before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. A lot of it was the same; loud, fans cheering, the school colors all over the stands. But what I didn't expect was seeing the band and a full student section. Luckily, we got to the game early enough to get close seats, although we weren't in the student section. Even though by halftime it was evident App was going to win, it was still a fun and exciting game.

It was held in the Convocation center, which presented several difficulties. While there was wheelchair seating, it was limited to entryways and the ground floor of the game, limiting the disabled or elderly to only a few seats. The steps are steep and would could also pose a problem. After the game, I went to the Convocation Center website to see what solutions they offered for accessibility, and there's a whole page on parking, seating, and even hearing devices for those who might need it. here's a screenshot of it:

After seeing that, I was much more impressed by the design of the room than before. The room is also very open, and offers a good view of the game no matter where you happen to be sitting, as I learned from experience during Convocation in the fall.

Overall, it was a good and fun experience, and I rate the Convocation Center as a 8 out of 10 for accessibility!

Goofing off after the game :)

(Individual, Sports Event)