“If I was to blindfold you and put you in King Hall and say ‘Get up to Room 218’ how would you find it?”
That’s how Roy Payan, a visually impaired student and disability rights advocate, reacted when asked about Braille signs on campus that were vandalized.
In a school-wide email sent earlier this month, it was announced that Braille signs on campus were vandalized. The email also urged anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Department of Public Safety.
When asked about the acts, Payan said that such crimes are taking tools away from those that rely on them.
“I don’t know what these people were thinking when they damaged these signs,” said Payan. “Did they think it was a joke? Did they think it was funny?”
Cal State LA spokesperson Robert Lopez provided the University Times with photos of two different signs at King Hall damaged by the acts of vandalism. The photos show scratchings and letters carved off, however, the Braille characters appear fully intact on one sign.
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) Director Gonzalo Centeno clarified why this is still an issue.
“There are students who are visually impaired who do not read Braille and are guided by the raised lettering, which can be seen in the pictures as being scratched off/removed,” he wrote in an email.
According to the FBI, there were 128 reported hate crime offenses “committed based on disability bias” in 2017 nationwide. In 2015, that number was 88. Data from 2016 was unavailable online at the time of research.
It is not confirmed whether or not the acts of vandalism that occurred on campus were hate crimes.
Payan wondered if there were any security cameras in the hallways and explained that he felt that campus police should be more “proactive instead of reactive.”
While Payan condemned the acts of vandalism, he also explained that Braille signs weren’t pointed out during his orientation and mobility class.
OSD did not respond to an inquiry specifically regarding Payan’s aforementioned claim.
Public Safety officials were unable to meet with the UT for an interview for this story.
The signs in the photographs have now either been replaced or repaired. Anyone with information is asked to contact Public Safety at (323) 343-3700.
