Short answer? No, not really. But we must acknowledge that it has certainly improved the accessibility of the building before it was renovated.

In 2019, there was a brief moment in which Robarts had turnstile doors. They were heavy doors. Not very accessible. Nowadays, the main entrance of the building has been renovated and uses strictly automatic sliding doors.

Of course, as of 2023 (due to the pandemic) the library has been closed off to the public. So to control the traffic, you are forced to go through a specific door to enter and exit the building. Regardless, it has improved the accessibility by a long shot.

Last year I completed an in-depth review of Robarts brand new renovated spaces: The Commons and the 4th floor Reading Room to determine how accessible they were.

Like most of my projects, this feature began with an inciting incident: this time being a fall on the benches.

This article could have easily been a nasty op-ed that would rip apart Robarts and the architects through heavy sarcasm, opinions and personal experiences . After all, this is not the only time I experienced inaccessibility. The original draft spoke more to my frustration than proper research and journalism.

However, I listened to wisdom and decided to investigate, throwing away my biases and truly trying to understand the perspectives of those responsible for ensuring the space was accessible.

Even though it took me eight months or so to complete he investigation, it taught me valuable journalistic skills and gave my first consultation experience with the Superkúl Architect Firm.

This article was added to the syllabus of CSE241 Y- Introduction to Disability Studies as a reading.