19/04/2024
The politics of time with Carolyn Smith
The guides contain facts, figures, and photographs to help students, visitors, and staff plan their journeys to and around the colleges, covering everything from parking facilities and hearing loops, to walking distances and accessible toilets.
A launch event for the new Access Guides takes place this week, on Wednesday 23 March (16:00 – 17:00), at the Student Services Centre.
Dr Susan Larsen, Wolfson College Senior Tutor, said: “I am delighted that Wolfson is among the first Cambridge colleges to join the AccessAble scheme. Their incredibly detailed guides – which collate all the essential accessibility information in one place – will enable all our students, staff, and visitors to navigate our physical site with even greater confidence.
“AccessAble’s suggestions for improvements will also inform both ongoing maintenance and our larger masterplan for the College. I am grateful to the many staff and students who took the time to comment on the AccessAble proposal and to review the guide before it went live.”
You can view Wolfson’s pages on the AccessAble website now.
The 16 colleges working with AccessAble for the new guide are:
Christ’s College; Clare College; Downing College; Fitzwilliam College; Girton College; Hughes Hall; Jesus College; Newnham College; Pembroke College; Peterhouse; Queens’ College; Robinson College; Selwyn College; Sidney Sussex College; St Edmund’s College; Wolfson College.
Dr Gregory Burke, Founder and Chair of AccessAble, said:
“The launch of the Detailed Access Guides to these 16 Cambridge colleges is very personal to me. As a disabled applicant 30 years ago, I wanted to know, before I applied, what college was going to be accessible to my own individual requirements. As I student I wanted to know which colleges I could visit for supervisions and for fun! So these guides would have made an enormous difference to me.
“Going to Cambridge changed my life immeasurably for the better. I want every disabled person who would otherwise be put off from applying - for the want of access information - to now have the confidence to make that application; and then come and thoroughly enjoy their time. The university and colleges want the best students. These colleges have shown they include disabled people within that aspiration; rightly so! And they should be congratulated for taking part.
“We will build on this great start to ensure that all students feel confident and welcome everywhere they go within the university and colleges.”
The programme aligns with the current accessibility programme across the University of Cambridge.
Professor Stephen J Toope, Vice Chancellor of The University of Cambridge, said:
“The addition of sixteen colleges to the Cambridge AccessAble network emphasises the collegiate University’s commitment to widening access and participation.”
You can view all the Cambridge Colleges Accessibility Guide here. It is also available via the AccessAble App which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, giving you accessibility information at your fingertips to use on the go.
To register for the launch event this Wednesday, please contact sscsupport@admin.cam.ac.uk.
