Day in the life

Gordon Argyle in the new respite room in the Mearns Centre for Learning. The room provides a quiet space for students and staff with disabilities to rest during the day. Overhead tracking allows for transfers between a wheelchair and a bed. Photo: UVic Photo Services

by Melanie Groves

“When I came to UVic there were three automatic door openers,” Accessibility Coordinator Gordon Argyle remembers. “Now there are over 200.”

Argyle has been associated with UVic since becoming a student in 1987. While completing a BA and MA in history, he worked part-time for the Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (RCSD) lobbying for campus accessibility improvements. He segued into a career with Facilities Management in 2000.

Argyle’s work ranges from consulting with individual staff and students with disabilities to liaising with departments and the RCSD to big-picture planning initiatives such as the campus wayfinding study. As part of the capital projects team, he consults with architects and staff to ensure new buildings meet or exceed accessibility standards in areas such as washrooms and lecture hall seating. Argyle also serves on the educational equity committee.

“I’m proud to say that at UVic we go beyond the BC building code to make as great an accessibility improvement as possible,” he says. “A big part of our success is the support and teamwork from our staff.”

A typical day for Argyle involves meetings with consultants and individuals, and plenty of paperwork and email to keep up with service requests. Some requests need to be acted on immediately, while others, such as installing ramps and curb cuts, are accomplished over several years.

Argyle cites the creation of 27 gender-neutral washrooms across campus as one of the projects he is most proud of. “That took care of a lot of issues for a lot of people, including people with disabilities,” he notes.

Argyle enjoys knowing that his work makes a difference. “Recently I arranged to have buttons to open the office door put on the wheelchair of a new staff member who couldn’t operate the door handles,” says Argyle. “She was ecstatic. I find those ‘intangible results’ the most satisfying.”

Born and raised in Victoria, Argyle was a realtor and developer before going back to school in 1987. He is involved in community lobbying for additional home support for people with disabilities and has been a member of the BC Transit accessible transit advisory committee for 18 years. A lover of music and playing poker, Argyle also has three books underway.

Before winding down to pursue a writing career, however, Argyle is promoting shared affordable on-campus housing for students with disabilities, using the model of five stand-alone units and a shared support worker. “This project will make UVic a leader in providing affordable, accessible shared housing,” he says.

Argyle invites anyone with campus accessibility issues to contact him at 250-472-5018 or gargyle@uvic.ca.