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Alliey Martins

Dr. Hoglund

Disability Studies in Context

22 March 2021

Accessibility Walk: Starbucks Coffee Run

From Park-Stradley to High Street

The path that I chose to describe is the path from Park-Stradley Hall to the Starbucks on High

Street that is next to the Urban Outfitters and across the street from the Union. To begin, exiting

out of the south main lobby doors of Park-Stradley Hall is required. If the north doors are

utilized, there are three sets of stairs along the path with no ramp for wheelchair users or

individuals that have trouble walking up and down stairs. Once turning left onto the sidewalk on

11th Avenue from the accessible doors, there are little to no challenges

walking to High Street. The sidewalk is mostly even with no large gaps

between concrete blocks. The sidewalk is wide and provides ample space to

maneuver around the parking meters and any trees along the way. At

around 10am, there were two scooters that had fallen over on the sidewalk

but they did not encroach too much room onto the travel path so wheelchair

users could continue around them. However, visually impaired individuals

may not see them since they projected a measurable distance onto the
Figure 1: Scooter blocking path on
11th Ave.
middle of the path which possesses a danger to these individuals. The street

that must be crossed while still walking along 11th Avenue has a ramp on both sides of the

sidewalk as well as truncated domes to signal to visually impaired people that there is a road

ahead. There is no pedestrian crossing signal button to press to indicate to the walker and any
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possible drivers that someone is crossing so it is best to be extra cautious. The intersection does

have a stop sign on that road so drivers should be looking for pedestrians crossing when they

stop but people with visual impairments will also need to rely on what they hear and possibly

smell to detect if there is a car approaching and trying to turn.

To the Crosswalk and Across High Street

Once successfully arriving at High Street, turn left and continue down to the

second crosswalk in order to actually cross High Street. There are two sets of

crosswalks available to get from one side of the street to the other, which may

be confusing, but by walking a bit farther to the second one, it eliminates the

need to cross Chittenden Avenue. This intersection is equipped with a

pedestrian crossing signal which has a button to press to cross the street. Quick

beeping signifies that it is safe to cross and eventually the beeping slows,

signaling that it is almost time for cars to begin to drive through the intersection Figure 2: Light post with button and
signage to aid in crossing the
street. Truncated domes found in
again which is especially beneficial for visually impaired people. For hearing bottom right of image.

impaired individuals, there are boxes at eye level on the opposite street corner

that display a walking man symbol for when it is okay to walk across, a countdown for when the

light is about to change, and a hand to signify that it is not safe to cross. The walking man and

the hand are different colors as well to further aid in distinguishing when it is safe to walk; they

are white and orange, respectively. The off-campus side of High Street is not as easy to

maneuver as the previous side, but in the long run makes it easier to get to Starbucks.

To Starbucks
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Continue traveling down High Street keeping in mind that there are trees that

line the left side of the sidewalk and occasional bus stops that are located on

the right side. Individuals in wheelchairs or that need assistance walking

should have no trouble maneuvering around these stationary objects, however,

they may run into issues with scooters. Scooters are usually lined up on the left

side of the street when the handlers replace them, but occasionally the scooters

are left in the middle of the walkway, making it difficult to foresee and to

move for individuals in wheelchairs or individuals that are visually impaired. Figure 3: Standing scooter left in
the middle of the sidewalk.
Some crosswalks on the way to the Starbucks have standalone pedestrian crossing signals to

push to cross High Street rather than the type attached to the light post. Although none of these

are used to cross the street, they may present a hazard when trying to travel along the sidewalk

since they tend to appear on the right side of the sidewalk while the light post is on the left. In

general, the sidewalk on this side of the road is smooth without large gaps in between the

concrete blocks, however, there are patterns of bricks located between some

concrete blocks. The majority of these are flat and easy to travel over. There

are some areas, especially those directly across from the Union, with many

bricks taken out or just large holes in the ground. These irregularities on the

ground surface may make it difficult for a wheelchair rider as well as someone

who is visually impaired to maneuver down the sidewalk because they cannot

predict where these gaps in the sidewalk occur. Starbucks then will be on the
Figure 4: Large gaps in bricks make
right side of the sidewalk past the Union but before the construction. traveling difficult.

Overall, the path from Park-Stradley Hall to the Starbucks is fairly smooth

with the exception of a few gaps in the brick areas of the sidewalk on High Street. It is best to be
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cautious of possible scooters that happen to be left in the middle of the sidewalk. Additionally, it

was not too busy when I was walking down the path, but on weekends and during mealtimes, the

sidewalks and roads tend to be a lot more crowded. The commotion at these times may make

getting places more difficult. For individuals with sensitivity to sound or those that do not feel

comfortable in crowds, it would be best to avoid traveling on High Street during these peak

hours to minimize any extra stress. Individuals with hearing impairments may also find it

difficult to hear cars honk or the beeping from the crossing signal, so it is important to always be

cautious before crossing any street and look for the symbols that appear to aid crossing at

intersections. Staying alert, aware, and careful of surroundings will make for a successful

Starbucks trip.