By: Carlos Castillo
Digital 357 .004
Thank you for visiting my project. I also have this project on Google sites if you choose to visit. Please sign in with your umich.edu account. Enjoy!
Introduction: In this project, I want to examine the physical challenges that my apartment presents. I want to note, that this is not the Company’s issue, nor is it the City of Ann Arbor. I argue it is a societal problem and advocacy needs to be brought forth through an academic lens so we can rethink about what it means to have access friendly physical spaces.
Research Question: “Is my living space actually accessible?”
Michel Foucault: A French Philosopher that expands on the concept of power, discipline and how governments shape societal norms.
Quote: “…power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society.”
Foucault’s quote came from one of my favorite books called “History of Sexuality”. It captures how power can be a systemic trait that transcends even through an economical space. This quote echo’s my question on how the power of money influences how society prioritizes accessibility. In other words, I suspect that morality is driven and dictated by profit rather than to seek an egalitarian space.
Photograph by author, April 27th, 2024. Foucault, Michel, “The History of Sexuality: Volume 1: An Introduction. Page 93.
Location
The following video captures the location and how it’s a desirable location is seen by us tenets. This is because it’s four to five minutes from campus and in front of the “Big House”.
The majority of residents are either students or faculty at Michigan. Nearly everyone has an association with the University of Michigan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrFqJ8o8Zs
Road to my Apartment
Link to Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_jc6fpyV_M
Link to Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RDaJG2jVjYmXsSf-7tXWGfKwl0t9AvwjuvTIHcKT5c4/edit
In conclusion, in places where property is highly desirable, accessibility is prioritized behind profitability. It is evident, in my apartment complex, that leisure supersedes access for all. We see that accessibility is virtually inaccessible from the lobby to my apartment. Let it be known that my video was taken in perfect weather conditions. And imagine yourself trying to access your apartment complex during a brutal Michigan winter. What I failed to capture is the ability to maneuver from the first floor to the third. However, I tried to center accessibility, which is present in my daily life. And I can’t imagine having to open six doors to simply make it to my apartment. So to answer my question, “Is my living space actually accessible?” I think it is accessible for certain people, but certainly not for all. And it is naive to think, that accessibility is equal in my space. I conclude my project by expanding the challenges of inaccessible spaces and, hopefully, advocating enough to question our morality.
Credits
Foucault, Michel, “The History of Sexuality: Volume 1: An Introduction. Page 93.
Photograph by author, “Apartment”, April 27th, 2024.Photographs by author, “Moving from the lobby album”, April 27th, 2024. Video by author, April 27th, 2024.
