After spending two days in a wheelchair, Val Eisele, a College of Engineering senior, said he has come to at least two conclusions: he will never use a handicapped bathroom stall again and Marquette's wheelchair accessibility needs improvement.

As a part of Disability Awareness Month, a program coordinated by the Milwaukee County Office for Persons with Disabilities, Eisele navigated around campus in a wheelchair Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, just Eisele and his friend took part. Twelve others joined Thursday, he said.

"The goal is to simulate being in a wheelchair and understand the talent and work it takes," Eisele said

He learned about the wheelchair opportunity through the College of Engineering. He said he got involved on a whim.

"It was something that sounded really cool," Eisele said.

It was at first. But after the first four hours, it was exhausting, he said.

"I was so tired I'd just sit there for periods of time," Eisele said.

Eisele said Raynor Memorial Library, the Alumni Memorial Union and Cudahy were very accessible.

But other buildings, such as the Olin Engineering Center and Lalumiere Hall, were very difficult to access, Eisele said.

Marie Radick, a College of Engineering senior and another participant in the activity, agreed.

She said the older buildings definitely need improvement.

The small bathrooms, elevators and sloping sidewalks were other obstacles, Radick said.

"Crossing the street became like an 'Indiana Jones' flick," Eisele said.

Disability Services Coordinator Heidi Vering said this kind of disability awareness raising is wonderful, but students who participate need to recognize they can walk away from it.

"It's important to stress that it's never over for some students – for them it's a lifelong struggle," Vering said.

Vering said Disability Services works with about three or four students who use wheelchairs. She said Eisele's experience with the buildings, elevators and bathrooms reflected the experiences of students she works with.

"The buildings at Marquette are older and weren't built with accessibility in mind," Vering said.

If there are problems with getting into buildings, Vering said faculty members are very accommodating and willing to change class locations.

She said improvements, such as making more doors automatic, have been made, but that it's a slow process.

Radick said people in general were very nice and willing to help when she was using the wheelchair Thursday.

But, Eisele said, "People's help can only get you so far, and at the end of the day, you want to be independent."

Eisele said he wants the activity at Marquette to continue every year so people better understand the talents and struggles of people who use wheelchairs.

Whether he'll be involved, he said he doesn't know. But he has decided on one immediate action: not to use handicapped bathroom stalls.

Eisele said he decided this after experiencing a seven-minute wait for one man to leave a handicapped stall when there were many other stalls and urinals open.

"I tried not to give him a look, but I did," Eisele said.