At Virginia Commonwealth University, located in Richmond, Virginia, the Trani Life Sciences annex is a two story building with no bathrooms that houses a large number of biology, chemistry, math, and environmental science classes. The Trani Life Sciences building was finished in 2001 and had a budget of $22 million. I was not able to find information about when the annex was built, if it was an addition or an original part of the Trani building, but it is not a historical building.

In order to access a bathroom, students must pass through 6 sets of doors between walking out of the annex and into the bathroom on the first floor of the main Trani building. The automatic buttons for these doors may or may not work. If they are on the second floor, they must additionally wait for an elevator that may or may not be broken. For many students with disabilities and chronic conditions, the time it takes to get to the bathroom is an active burden that prevents them not only from attending class, but from accessing basic human needs. 

For example, I (the President of the Association of Students w Disabilities & Chronic Conditions), have a chronic condition that causes episodes of cyclical vomiting. These episodes may last hours or weeks, and are almost completely unpredictable. I often have to still attend class during my episodes because there is not enough infrastructure to support me learning the same material at home as in class. I have had many days where I have had to bring a trash bag to class and use that in public in the courtyard because there simply wasn't enough time to make it to the bathroom. Not only is this humiliating, it simply is not acceptable. 

Students with Disabilities and Chronic conditions deserve access to basic human needs such as accessible restrooms in the buildings they take classes in. No one should need to risk having an 'accident' and spending upwards of 20-30 minutes to use the bathroom when most classes are only 50 minutes long anyways. 

We, the undersigned, in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III's commitment to 'full and equal enjoyment' and 'readily accessible' pathways (Sec. 36.201 & 36.403), petition for the construction of ADA accessible bathrooms inside Trani Annex. The current time and effort required to reach the facilities in the Trani Life Sciences building are not feasible and likely infringe upon the ADA requirements for equal access in public institutions.