«Being helpless is a humiliation»

The feeling of helplessness was unmistakable among the five Rector candidates when Universitas challenged them separately to try out life in a wheelchair at Blindern. The experience may come in handy for the one who has to relate to the new law.

«A new law on anti-discrimination, initiated by Syse-utvalget (an appointed committee), will soon be passed where all public institutions have to meet requirements of accessibility,» assistant General Secretary of Funksjonshemmedes Fellesorganisasjon (a national union preserving the interests of the disabled) Jarl Ovesen says.

The law will mean that any future facility needs to take the interests of the disabled into consideration, and in time existing facilities have to be improved.

Lecture theatres are not up to code with regards to audio and lighting facilities for the hearing impaired. The electronic academic tool Classfronter has not been adapted for the use of blind people. Students suffering from dyslexia have received academic CDs much too late. And the list goes on.

Will Fight

«When the committee for improving the academic environment was established, the physically challenged were left in the loop. They have to be represented on the Boards because we need somebody too look out for them,» Kristian Gundersen says, who proved the most successful wheelchair candidate.

Fanny Duckert was not as fortunate. She got stuck between paving stones and door sills, on several occasions.

«The University must have thorough plans to comply with the needs of the physically challenged so that you avoid posterior improvements,» she says. Duckert wants to co-operate with those responsible for universal adjustment.

Many Challenges

After a series of failed attempts at passing the door sill and entering the restrooms on the 9th floor of the Faculty of Social Sciences building (SV), Rector candidate Geir Ellingsrud realised that there should be ample toilet facilities on each floor.

«You are in desperate need of assistance and it should not be too expensive to solve this problem. We are initiating a plan of action. Inga Bostad, who is part of my Rector-team, has a physically challenged child. We are particularly concerned with this problem.»

A young and helpful female student, who had not grasped the idea behind this challenge, came to the rescue when Lars Walløe was struggling with the entrance.

«From my eight years of experience as head of the Department of Informatics, I know a great deal about the situation for the blind and visually challenged. Back then, we tried to make proper arrangements for them,» he says and adds that he, as Rector, aspires to improve transportation possibilities to and from the library.

«Obligated by Promises»

Stein Evensen is gazing up the stairs to the pub at Fredrikke knowing that they are impossible to wheelchair users.

«Being helpless is a humiliation,» he says. «All my life, I have worked within health services and fought particularly for haemophiliacs. They often have problems with their joints. I will not give low priority to our challenged users,» the last of the Rector candidates pledges.

«You don’t think promises will be forgotten after the election?»

«You are obligated by your promises. They admit that Blindern needs to improve facilities for the disabled. The challenge will be to implement the new law,» assistant General Secretary of Funksjonshemmedes Fellesorganisasjon (FFO) Jarl Ovesen says.