It’s funny how life can still surprise you. I know I’ve only lived for 20 years, but life constantly throws me curveballs even when I think I’ve figured it out. I faced the biggest curveball of all this year: living with a broken femur.
For those who don’t know, the femur (thighbone) is the strongest bone in the body, making it the most difficult to break. The bone takes a full year to heal entirely but several months to recover and return to normal activities. Because of this, the break was, and still is, extremely painful, and navigating this has been exceptionally hard.
Since I broke my femur in early August, I learned that Florida State University (FSU) has accessibility services to help me get to class. Initially, I was relieved to hear that. Unfortunately, I had no idea what my experience with the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) van would be like.
For starters, FSU’s campus is “walkable” but huge. Even before breaking my leg, I’ve always felt the long walks across campus are not easy! This is likely due to Tallahassee being very hilly. I’m from central Florida, where the biggest hills are in my backyard, so I’m still getting used to this environment. With that in mind, I knew there was no way I could hobble on crutches across campus, so I had to start using the OAS van.
Safe to say, I was disappointed. There’s only one van available for the entire campus. Once I realized this, I dreaded using the service. I was afraid that one van couldn’t possibly do the trick for all students with disabilities at FSU. Since then, I’ve been late to countless classes, likely due to the high demand for the singular van. There have even been times when I was so late that I missed class altogether.
More than once, I’ve had to walk with a broken leg to meet with the OAS driver. Once the semester progressed, I wasn’t met at the same locations where I’d been picked up all semester. A handful of times, I had no other choice but to walk a fairly long distance to my class. Walking a mile with a broken leg is honestly absurd, but that’s not the last of the crazy things I’ve experienced.
During the rides in the OAS van, other students using the service are often spoken negatively about. Jokes have also been made about running students over. I used to be constantly anxious in the back of this van because I received my leg injury due to a severe motor vehicle accident. I understand everyone has bad days, but this behavior makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe.
Because of everything, I tend to become even more distressed than I previously thought possible. Living through a traumatic event and then failing to receive the appropriate support has been a devastating experience. Learning how to adjust to my life with a broken leg is a constant physical and emotional rollercoaster without the additional obstacles.
FSU students deserve better. Students with disabilities need services that won’t fail them. This is my experience with a broken leg, which is an unexpected temporary setback, but what about the students who need these services long-term? How will they succeed despite these problems?
This is a call to action. OAS needs another accessibility van, more drivers, and more resources in general. Maybe the entire system of pick-up and drop-off should be reworked. The bottom line? Students who pay thousands of dollars in tuition and have made countless sacrifices to attend this university deserve the bare minimum of arriving to class on time. Do better, FSU’s Accessibility System.
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