Article content A new addition to the entrance of the University of Windsor’s Human Kinetics building has met the “gold standard” for accessibility. The primary entrance now features a long ramp and stairs, beginning at the drop-off and pick-up area on College Avenue, with tactile surfaces, resting areas with benches, recessed lighting, and a snow-melting system. “We intended to make an entrance so that it’s usable and accessible for as many people who wished to access the building,” said Cherie Gagnon, the university’s accessibility manager in the Office of Human Rights, Equity, and Accessibility, who took a leading role in the project.
Around 50 community members and representatives from the University of Windsor attended a press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new accessible entrance on Monday. Gagnon was accompanied by her son, Josh, who uses a wheelchair. The $2-million project was made possible by a $722,800 grant from the Employment and Social Development Department of the Government of Canada, through the EnAbling Accessibility Fund.
“There is freedom and opportunity in movement,” said “With this beautiful new ramp, we are growing that freedom. We are growing that opportunity for more students, more faculty, and more staff at the University of Windsor. “It is more than just a ramp.
It is an important statement that we are making here, not just for University of Windsor, but for our entire community.” The ramp was constructe.