VIDEO. The obstacle course of Antoine, a student in a wheelchair

Antoine Mazzoni, student in engineering physics at the Sorbonne, explains his humiliation in the face of the limited accessibility of the premises: “How do I access the building? I was told: ‘Go through there’. Through the garbage room. It’s the official wheelchair entrance. I find it super humiliating all the same.” This situation makes him feel like “an imposter” and questions his place at university. “I tell myself that I don’t have my place in this university”, he confides.

The faculty’s lecture halls are not designed to accommodate students with disabilities. “Those are the only seats I can have in the lecture hall. Hearing and reading what the teacher writes is impossible. I see absolutely nothing and I hear very badly”laments Antoine. Despite his requests for reasonable accommodations, he was refused a table at the bottom of the lecture hall, thus depriving him of equitable access to course content.

Beyond physical obstacles, it is social isolation that weighs heaviest on Antoine. “The biggest problem for me is the loneliness. It’s five years, I can’t stand being so alone anymore. All the time.” He mentions the impossibility of creating links: “To never be able to talk to anyone, or after a lecture, a course or in the canteen. It’s just impossible to form, let’s say friendships.” This loneliness eroded his self-confidence over the years.

Despite the numerous steps taken, the university’s responses are still awaited. After collecting Antoine’s testimony, Brut was in contact with several people from the disability service, without precise answers to the questions. The communications department ended up listing some advances, while recognizing the importance of the challenge of personalized support for people with disabilities.