DMU has launched an interactive campus map that highlights accessibility information for disabled students, staff and visitors. The map is available on the DMU website’s campus section.
A key feature of the new accessibility map is a set of icons showing entrances with ramped, accessible or single-level access. Users can also customise the map to show or hide locations by type, such as faculties, halls, student support services, parks, transport and points of interest.
The map was the brainchild of Nerissa Doran, the De Montfort Students’ Union Disabled Students’ Liberation Officer, and developed by the Web and Digital team in the university’s Marketing and Communications Directorate.
Nerissa said: “The idea came from reflecting on my own struggles and that of new students when getting around campus, and how easy it can be to get lost your first time here. But then I imagined how hard it would be for any students with mobility issues – who might be in a wheelchair for example. They can't even use every entrance, and they didn't have anything to help them find the right one.”
Nerissa believes the new accessibility map can benefit many people on campus: “This map has been designed to be simple for everyone to understand. It not only shows the location of accessible entrances on campus, it’s also a central place for accessibility information.”
Looking ahead, Nerissa hopes the map will be updated based on student feedback and incorporated into university events to raise awareness: “If anyone has any feedback, they are more than welcome to reach out and see what we can do to continue improving it.”
For more information about support for students with disabilities, go to our wellbeing and disability webpages.
Posted on Monday 25 March 2024