At Western Washington University (WWU) there are currently no handicap accessible or gender-neutral restrooms readily available to audience members attending Mainstage or the Concert Hall events in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). The nearest handicap accessible restroom is two floors down (which if the PAC was built today, would make the building in violation of the International Building Code) and the nearest gender-neutral restroom is on the far other side of the building. For an audience member who isn’t familiar with the building, finding those restrooms is extremely challenging, especially during the time allotted for a performance’s intermission. Based on the values Western holds dear, it’s clear that the university is very focused on inclusivity, therefore this is an important project for the university to consider. The PAC is an essential building to the university, as it attracts a wide range of audience members, from students, to families, to community members, to potential new students. It's vital that a building like this reflects the values of the university it serves.

The WWU Department of Capital Planning and Development has already started working towards installing Gender Neutral Restrooms in all the buildings on campus. However, the PAC is not slated for renovation for quite a few years and the need for handicap accessibility was not taken into account when this plan was initially developed.

Our next step is to prove to the university that the students, staff, and patrons of the PAC care about this renovation. This advocacy could very well help convince the Department of Capital Planning and Development to move-up the timeline of this project and prioritize the PAC. There are approximately 1,345 students, faculty, and staff of the College of Fine and Performing Arts (CFPA) and in 2018 (pre-covid), approximately 45,000 audience members attended CFPA functions. These numbers prove how important to the university this building is.

In an ever progressing world, renovating outdated infrastructure to achieve the most equitable solution is a necessity, and I need your help to give the PAC the renovation it needs. Please help me prove the importance of increasing accessibility in the WWU PAC so that everyone can enjoy the performing arts equally.