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OBJECTIVE

We are a group of engineering students and we have chosen to focus our final design project on improving accessibility at St. Francis Xavier University. Our project is focused around creating solutions to barriers people face on the St. Francis Xavier University campus as a result of being differently abled. For this aspect for the project, we are primarily focusing on proposing solutions to eliminating barriers that people who have physical disabilities face, but we also acknowledge that there are many other types accessibility barriers on campus encountered by people with various abilities. We fully support creating a functional and inclusive campus for everyone to enjoy. However, our project currently aims to address physical accessibility barriers encountered on campus.

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

Currently on StFXU campus, there is one ramp that connects the elevated part of campus and the lower level. Further, many buildings on campus are inaccessible or not easily accessible. For example, the Bloomfield building (13) is only accessible on the third level, with an elevator in the building. Other buildings like the Annex (10), Somers (22) and Powers (23) are not accessible to people with mobility issues. The hill going north on Notre Dame avenue is too steep for many to climb safely. In the winter months, the accumulation of snow and ice makes steep hills impossible to climb and even flat sidewalks dangerous.