Disabled students left stranded in queues by broken Arts Tower lift

Students and staff are queuing outside of the Arts Tower door due to one of the lifts being broken beyond repair.

The problem has caused concern for disabled students, especially regarding evacuation.
Chris Jesson, Students with Disabilities Councillor, is concerned about the day-to-day situation for students with disabilities using the Arts Tower.

He said: "I have on occasion seen wheelchair users being ignored in the queue when they should have priority in the main lifts, especially when the paternoster is also working.

"A lot of people don’t know that it is common courtesy to give up a place in the lift if a wheelchair user needs to get on. There needs to be greater awareness of how students with a disability have to evacuate university buildings in the event of fire.

"You have to actually go on the internet to find out the procedures. If there was an actual fire, you are not going to be able to know where to go."

But the University has promised it will be replaced with a new, faster lift, but this will take 32 weeks at a cost of roughly £500,000.

The pressure on the building has gradually increased since its opening in 1966. This year the situation is worse than ever and many students feel neglected.

One student said: "The lifts are the worst. If I start at 12.10pm, and get to the Arts Tower at 12pm, the queue for the lifts will already be out the door. It’s absurd."

Neil Cameron, Director of Estates at University of Sheffield, admits the Arts Tower refurbishment is long overdue.

He apologised to the students for the current situation, but said the University is now prioritising the Arts Tower. The building will be especially prioritised in next year’s estate budget.

Mr. Cameron said: "I am obviously sorry about the situation. It is dreadful to have to queue. We are working on it, but unfortunately it is going to take some time."

He said part of the problem is the building’s Grade II* listing. Any refurbishment or change to the Arts Tower are limited and have to be specially approved. Only 5 per cent of listed buildings in Britain reach the Grade II* level of listing.

The tower originally housed 100 staff and 1,000 students. Today 300 staff and 2,500 students use the building each day.

Earlier this year, one of the two passenger lifts broke completely, worsening the situation further.

Extra lifts will not be installed in the Arts Tower, as there is not enough space. Instead, the pressure on the building will be solved by other means.

The paternoster is not allowed to be removed, according to its Grade II* listing, but it will be refurbished. A contractors’ lift will be temporarily installed at the back of the Arts Tower.

This will help ease the pressure on the lifts because, for example, deliveries will be able to be transported into the tower through that lift instead.

Once refurbished, there are plans to move in more administrative offices rather than seminar rooms.

School of Modern Languages and Linguistics (SOMLAL), which takes up almost half of the floors, is moving out of the Arts Tower in December to the new Jessop West building. The Department of Architecture will also move out during the refurbishment.

Jo Wendel