Blazing new trails

BY MELANIE MAYHEW, '05

Navigating Richmond’s campus is not easy on wheels or crutches. With steep slopes, 82 buildings, 466 doors and more than 116,000 feet of pathways, getting to and from class can be challenging.

To improve accessibility, a group of students in an Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class spent 10 weeks digitally mapping the campus. They developed an interactive map that details the physical features and helps people with mobility challenges chart the best paths around campus. It highlights steep hills, handicapped parking spaces, curb cuts, automatic doors and elevators.

“What they’ve accomplished so far is unbelievable and really useful for people like me,” says Emily Bartle, ’12, who gets around on a scooter. Although Bartle was not in the GIS class, she served as a consultant on the project.

Last summer, the only accessibility map was a simple diagram of the campus—with highlighted paths zigzagging across the page. Representatives from Common Ground, which helps the UR community become more diverse and inclusive, approached Kim Klinker, director of the spatial analysis lab, and asked her to take on the project. Then Klinker developed the GIS course to make it a learning experience for students.

Abby Novak, ’11, majoring in geography and women, gender and sexuality studies, was one of 18 students who dedicated more than 100 combined hours to the project.

“Every hour was worth it,” says Novak, of Gainesville, Fla. “I’ve learned so much about accessibility and the extent to which GIS can help people in their daily lives.”

The students presented the map to campus leaders in December, and this spring, they are taking Klinker’s Advanced Spatial Analysis class to refine the map and post an interactive version online.

“The more we can do to make the campus welcoming, the better,” Klinker says. “And these students won’t ever look at the campus the same way.”