Boston College will be investigated after complaints about accessibility.

The Boston Globe reports.

BC faces inquiry over accessibility of campus

Federal and state officials are investigating Boston College for possible violations of accessibility laws, amid complaints from some current and former students with disabilities who describe navigating sections of the campus as a nightmare.

Problem spots, including numerous routes and ramps that are steep and others that lead only to stairs, force people with disabilities to travel longer routes or navigate “shortcuts” through a maze of building hallways and elevators to get across campus, the students said.

As of December, BC was the only college in Massachusetts facing such a federal investigation and one of just 23 nationally, according to the US Education Department.

“When I was in school at BC just over 15 years ago, I had better access to buildings on the campus than I do now,” said BC alumna Adriana Mallozzi, 37, who has cerebral palsy and uses her head and mouth to control a joystick on a powered wheelchair to get around. “All the new construction has changed the landscape of the campus and did not make it better for people with mobility issues, but made it worse.”

The university said it is assisting the Department of Education and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board in their reviews, but declined to comment specifically about the inquiries.


 
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