Assignment 2.2 - Finding your way around (Longstreet-Means to Lullwater Park)

In this blog post I am looking at the route from Longstreet-Means Hall to a famous hidden park on campus called Lullwater Park. The park is a very common place for Emory students to visit for jogs, walks and even to have picnics. Mr. James Wagner, the President of Emory University lives in a house inside the park. Lullwater is a popular place because it is peaceful and surrounded by nature. When I began assessing the route from Longstreet-Means to the park I realized there was no accessible route especially for wheelchair users, and also those who are blind. When you leave Longstreet-Means, there is a small downhill road, which then takes you to the main road, which is at first steep, and when you reach the crossing it becomes flat. There are two crossings one encounter, which are both heavily, busy with traffic. This would make it difficult and even risky for disabled people to go through. Even if one is able to make it through the crossings, and reach the entrance of the park that is not the end. Fortunately the gate of the park is very wide and easy for anyone to enter, but to downside is that the path inside is a hill, hence if someone in a wheelchair is going down the road and looses balance there will be an unfortunate outcome. I tested the path myself, and I realized even the insides of the park is very dangerous; the road tends to be rocky and uneven with a large number of uphill and downhill slopes. I tried finding an easy accessible path, that all people could use, but unfortunately I could not. Does this show discrimination against disabled people? Are people trying to exclude the abled from the disabled, by making it difficult for them to enjoy a relaxing day in the park?