Though Baldwin has made efforts, like adding ramps and elevators, to accommodate injured and disabled students, many feel that the school’s design remains inaccessible and antiquated. 

Baldwin has already taken steps to ensure physical accessibility. Upper School Director Mrs. Reed said, “There is ramp access to every building and every building has an elevator that people can get to from a ramp. It’s not always easy because these are old buildings, so it’s all retrofitted… But they are all accessible if, for example, someone is confined to a wheelchair.”

However, many students feel that this is not enough. 

Violet Paiva ‘23, who tore her ACL freshman year, said, “To get into the Schoolhouse, there’s no real accessible entrance.” 

Paiva also expressed concerns about the Blue Hallway. Paiva said, “It’s really long, and has random stairs in it. You’re crutching, you’re exhausted, and you have to stop, get rid of a crutch, and get up the stairs. It’s really difficult.”

Lisa Evans ‘23, who has concerns about her younger sister attending Baldwin because of her walking disability, said, “I guess on one hand, they’re trying to preserve the history of the school. But in doing that, they could be excluding people.”

However, Mrs. Reed said that the school strives to accommodate students with disabilities. Mrs. Reed said, “We do our best to accommodate. It might mean the person would be late to some classes, because they’d have to do some extra routes… But there’s a way for that person to get everywhere they need to be, it’s just going to take a bit longer and not be as easy.”

Looking to the future, Mrs. Reed says accessibility is an absolute necessity. “New spaces like the Simpson Center and the Innovation Center are up to code,” she said. 

Mr. Dwyer, Baldwin’s Chief Financial Officer, added, “It’s exciting to know that with newer facilities, like our under construction Innovation Center, we can prioritize this work and make these special new spaces easily accessible for all students, teachers, and visitors.”

For now, however, the school’s dated architecture makes navigating Baldwin difficult for students with disabilities. Until that is remedied, it will take some students much longer to “Be There” than others.