A disabled college student said she requested a wheelchair-accessible room, but was just given a bathtub

Lindsay Dodgson
·3 min read
73
woman in wheelchair exiting elevator
A wheelchair user (stock photo).freemixer/Getty Images

  • College student Alexa Kate shared her disappointment on TikTok about her dorm room.

  • Kate uses a wheelchair and had requested an accessible unit with a bathtub.

  • Instead, she was given a non-accessible room with a bathtub she can't use.

A college student who uses a wheelchair shared her disappointment on TikTok about her dorm room, after she requested an accessible room but got a non-accessible one with a bathtub.

Alexa Kate, who studies at Chapman University in Orange, California, said she requested a "wheelchair-accessible unit with a bathtub" at her college's housing office. But what she was given was a non-accessible room with a bathtub — one she wouldn't be able to get into.

In the video's caption, Kate wrote that the housing officer must have thought she meant she "must prefer to have a bathtub even if the unit is not accessible."

"What did they think I was gonna do??" she wrote, asking if they thought she "would just magically be able to walk."

Kate also responded to several comments, explaining the situation further, and expressing her frustration.

"In what world does my PREFERENCE for a bathtub overpower my NEED for accessibility," she said in a comment.

She also asked "what good" a bath was if she couldn't even get into it by herself.

"Do they think the bath is for decoration?" she said.

People commented on Kate's video, sharing similar experiences. One person said she was put in a wheelchair inaccessible dorm because she had requested an "all female" one, and they had prioritized that instead of accessibility.

"Genuinely starting to think housing departments think if our other preferences are met we will just be cured," Kate replied.

One person said they had been given a bath over a roll-in shower they requested, and another said she had been put in an apartment on the second floor with no elevator.

"Oh my god," Kate replied.

People with disabilities are a protected class in the US, meaning college campuses are legally obligated to ensure all environments including their classrooms, libraries, and dorms are accessible.

Chapman University is a private university, which means that according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA), it is required to meet the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design when constructing all new buildings.

It also states that with existing buildings, "architectural barriers" that restrict the movement of disabled people should be removed, so long as it is "easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense.

"Whether or not something is readily achievable depends on the overall financial resources of the university," it reads.

Kate commented on her video after a few hours, saying her university was "going to modify the bathroom to be accessible" for her.

Some people responded asking what kind of modifications would be made.

"The whole apartment is still not gonna be ADA compliant," Kate said. "However they are installing a transfer bench and bars so I can use the bathtub! :)"

Insider reached out to Chapman University for comment.

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