On the third floor of Turman Hall, the main bathroom on the women’s side of the hall is marked as accessible. At a first glance it appears accessible since the door is ADA standard 32 inches wide when open. The sign for the bathroom even has Braille for people who are visually impaired.
| However, once you try to enter the bathroom it is apparent that it is not completely accessible. Since the door is pressurized to close slowly, it is difficult to push and pull open. Once inside the bathroom, the accessible stall door is easier to open because it swings open freely and is also ADA standard 32 inches wide. There is ample space for a wheelchair inside, and the toilette paper dispenser is within reach when someone is sitting on the toilette. |
Overall, the stall is accessible but when someone tries to wash their hands they encounter trouble. The sink counter is ADA regulation height of 34 inches, but the sink is farther back on the counter. The faucet is automatic, so people with visual impairments might have trouble finding where to turn on the sink if they can’t see that it is automatic. Another issue is that the soap and paper towel dispensers are located high up on the wall so they are difficult, if not impossible, to reach from a wheelchair. While the stall itself is accessible, actually accessing the bathroom and using its amenities is not as easy as the accessibility sign implies.