Fenced off with yellow barriers, the two elevators at the south end of King Hall have been closed down for over a month as the university works to replace them with new ones. This leaves the two elevators on the north end of King Hall as the only functional elevators in the building.
The repairs are expected to be finished in December, according to a statement from the Cal State LA Public Affairs Office.
In a previous University Times article, Cal State LA announced plans to replace the elevators in King Hall’s A wing. The plans that were announced in May 2022, are now being put into place almost a year and a half later.
Students have reported issues with the elevators in King Hall multiple times in the past, with many recounting seeing the elevators often “out of order.”
“Oftentimes they aren’t working, or there are signs on them that they are out of order,” Evelyn Velasquez, a sociology major, said.
Sophomore Brent Ha recalled that he would have to take the stairs multiple times last semester due to the elevators not working.
There have even been instances of students getting stuck in the elevators in the past, in which the Los Angeles Fire Department had to be dispatched to the scene.
Other elevators across campus have also had similar complaints from students.
Transfer student Raul Hernandez said that he has had experiences where the elevators near the Metro station on campus have stopped functioning.
In a statement to the University Times, the public affairs office said, “We regret the inconvenience this causes our community. We encourage students, whose schedules permit, to give themselves additional time to access the upper floors.”
While many students have opted to walk up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevators, that is not an option for everyone. Students with disabilities have expressed their concerns about accessibility issues.
“It’s an accessibility for people with disabilities that are having trouble, because I have a classmate who needs the elevator,” Hernandez said.
First year student Rose Duran is a special education assistant at a local school district and mentioned that elevators are an important accessibility need.
“That is such a major accessibility issue,” Duran said. “So I can’t imagine for adults with disabilities not having access to their classes. This is an inconvenience for them and especially if they are paying for their classes, they should be able to get up and down.”
The public affairs office recommended students with accessibility concerns to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for additional information.
