The humiliation that I had dreaded--being "that first-year who is always sprawled on the ground"--didn't arise. Nor did the pain I had anticipated in my precious ankle. In fact, finding a door handle to hoist myself up on, I was no my way to conquer the inside stairs within minutes.

Therefore, while I never missed a class because of these hurdles, I began to notice that there are countless places such as these around campus--accessible but locked, or simply daunting. The back of Widener lets in countless wheelchairs daily, but the majestic front offers no hint that those without full use of two legs are welcome inside. Making my way slowly around campus that fall, I was constantly reminded that as a campus which is gradually improving all types of accessibility, Harvard still has a long way to go in terms of offering full use of its resources to all students equally.

Wheelchair-bound students may have little problem going for a meal in the Union, but have no hope of dining at Winthrop. Sanders has a ramp...which spent most of this year partitioned off during the construction. The Science Center has elevator service to the basement computer labs, but it is difficult to call an elevator to go back up after-hours.

In fact, for every new or remodeled building which boasts access improvements, so many others, from Harvard Hall to Warren House, offer neither elevators nor ramps. Even though the opportunity to take a class--or follow the meal plan, or take an exam--is open to any student who qualifies for admission, the full life that Harvard has to offer is limited by the subtle ways in which rich experience must be sacrificed for convenience.

As a result, the bare-bones academic offerings may not be easily supplemented by an a capella concert, or late-night computing, or meeting a friend in the Quad. Certainly, the College is sensitive to these needs, and provides great shuttle service and other aides from the Office of Disabilities. However, Harvard is not yet a campus which can provide a College experience with minimal hurdles for physically-challenged students.

This problem is not unique to Harvard. In fact, in my many months exploring the East Coast on crutches, I have never had a day in which I came home without one story about the hurdles I met over the course of my travels.

This fact makes me count down the days until I can take my first steps again with even more enthusiasm. However, it also makes me feel blessed that my challenges are temporary, and most of my time at Harvard will be spent without crutches. At the same time, I am frustrated that students who face permanent disabilities have to struggle with these issues every day on campus.

I do understand that even if the school did everything right in terms of both remodeling and programs to make the school fully accessible, there would still be the inevitable three feet of snow in the winter to turn the campus into an obstacle course again. However, I believe that since so many students and administrators do not face a situation in which getting to class is a struggle, these changes are slow in coming.

Just as the utility closet in my Italian restaurant seemed to have passed the accessibility inspection to the casual observer simply by virtue of being on the ground floor, creating a campus which is as welcoming as possible to all students is not just a matter of making sure makeshift substitutes are available in the place of full access. True changes in accessibility will take thought and planning, and must be made a priority.