Students with disabilities voice frustrations with campus emergency procedures

Tornado warnings issued by the University on Sept. 27 reminded UNC first-year Kira Tiller about the obstacles students with disabilities could face when trying to stay safe during campus emergencies.

“It's the University's responsibility to keep students safe, to protect students,” Tiller said. “And that means all students.”

Tiller, a member of the Disability Advocates Committee, said she did advocacy work related to emergency preparedness for students with disabilities throughout high school. She then founded and operated a lobbying organization called Disabled Disrupters that combated the inaccessibility of emergency procedures at the K-12 grade levels.

“But emergencies don’t stop once you graduate high school,” Tiller said.

The UNC Campus Safety website states that individuals with disabilities who may need additional assistance during emergencies should develop their own evacuation plans. The website contains guidelines on how to assess evacuation options, enlist the help of bystanders and inform others of one’s needs.

Tiller said she was responsible for creating her personalized dorm emergency plan with the help of Accessibility Resources & Services when she came to UNC.

As a student with epilepsy, Tiller said the flashing lights involved in many emergency procedures, such as fire evacuations, can trigger seizures. In case of emergency she said she needs to be able to close her eyes while someone guides her to safety. 

The plan Tiller came up with involves her roommate or another student guiding her out of her residence hall if needed. Tiller said she’s uncomfortable with the plan because it’s unreliable to count on another student who may be uninformed or absent.

She said that no ARS emergency plan was created for when she’s in class, saying that most of her academic buildings have flashing alarm lights. She said she feels that she is at the mercy of whatever emergency may occur. Tiller said she isn’t sure her professors or fellow students would know how to help her.

“From the conversations that I have had, I have not met a single disabled student who feels like their needs are adequately supported during the case of an emergency,” she said.

Former DAC Treasurer and UNC alum Kyla Roerty wrote in a statement to The Daily Tar Heel that as someone with cerebral palsy, she didn’t have the proper information she needed to plan emergency routes ahead of time.

UNC student Aleigha Andrews said that she thinks it would be beneficial to have trained people available to help in emergency situations. 

Andrews is diagnosed with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. She said that her disabilities can interact to make emergencies triggering and safety procedures difficult to process.

Tiller said that many buildings on UNC’s campus are not accessible for those with physical disabilities, which can present obstacles in emergency situations. 

The UNC Campus Safety website also states that individuals with disabilities who may find themselves unable to safely evacuate during an emergency should shelter in place in a secure location or seek a designated Area of Refuge, which are specific rooms built into some stairwells. These rooms can fit a wheelchair and contain a two way walkie-talkie style communication system linked to the fire alarm control room, according to the University’s Environment, Health and Safety Manual.

After finding a secure location, the Campus Safety website states that individuals should inform emergency services of their location and wait until they are evacuated.

Andrews said she knows of multiple instances at UNC where someone unable to use stairs was trapped on a high floor due to a broken elevator. She said that usually, she wouldn’t see these elevators repaired for weeks.

In a statement to The DTH, UNC Media Relations wrote that the ARS and Emergency Management and Planning departments were unavailable for comment. 

Roerty wrote that students facing inaccessibility at UNC should speak up about their experiences.

“Elevators not working, handicap entrances being closed or classrooms being hard to navigate are all real issues that affect the safety of disabled people on campus,” she wrote.

UNC students can encourage emergency procedure accessibility by spreading awareness, Tiller said. She said this issue may slip people’s minds and educating students will inspire action. 

Andrews said fostering a community among students with disabilities is another way for students to find empathy and understanding for each other.

“This is something I'm pretty passionate about because it really is a life or death issue for disabled students,” Tiller said. “And I think it's really important to frame it that way, because it's not a luxury.”