Students-Athletes Outraged Over Lack of Handicap Access Ramps for Their Hoverboards
by Derl Clausen
JOHN MCKAY CENTER–Last Tuesday, student-athletes from every team gathered outside the John McKay Center to express their outrage over the university’s failure to address handicap accessibility.
“We as a group feel the lack of wheelchair ramps on this campus is appalling!” yelled Tennis Player, John Loust. “How else are we supposed to get down curbs on our hoverboards? I just feel that there has to be some respect for my needs.”
While other forms of transportation such as skateboards pose the danger of falling, and bikes take up the much-needed space student-athlete’s use for their egos, hoverboards make for the perfect medium. That’s why many of these athletes are demanding that USC immediately build more wheelchair ramps, and fix the ones that are too steep for hoverboards to go up.
USC responded saying the renovations would “take a long time, and quite a lot of money.” But the need for this kind of accessibility has never been more crucial as many of the athletes are reporting that they have forgotten how to walk.
Women’s soccer goalie Chelsea Harbor commented, “I can block soccer balls, I can ride my hoverboard, but I literally can’t do that walking thing anymore. Us athletes have busy schedules, and can’t be bothered by walking up stairs.”
Although many athletes feel their requests are being purposefully ignored, it seems that there are still a few not on board. Beach Volleyball MVP Jennifer Hudsley proclaims, “Sometimes I like to just carry my hoverboard around with me. Without it, my professor won’t know I’m a real student-athlete. Then I’ll get treated like all the other students when I show up late to class.”
Whether or not the new ramps are built, it seems the topic of handicap accessibility on campus is creating an excellent discussion for athletes to remind you, once again, that they are athletes.
