Thank You for the Accessibility Article

Thank you for the article about improving accessibility at Princeton (“Opening Doors,” March issue). I am ashamed to say that when I was a student (2001–05), issues of accessibility for those using wheelchairs or other assistive devices never occurred to me. I have only thought about them in the last few years: My 3-year-old daughter, Astrid, has cerebral palsy and walks with a walker. When she is older, she will likely benefit from a wheelchair to make traveling over longer distances (like a college campus) more accessible to her. It feels good for my family to be seen and heard by my alma mater. 

I congratulate Naomi Hess ’22 and her colleagues for their persistence in asking for access, and I’m glad that the University’s administration has been responsive to her input. We have learned, as Ms. Hess has, that being gracious and receptive to questions from both children (who need to be taught) and adults (who should know better) is the only way for our daughter’s condition to be normalized. Thank you to Ms. Hess and the University for bringing attention to this important issue.