The harsh reality of winter in Buffalo can be summed up in one four-letter word: snow.
In places where the white stuff is rare, a little dusting can be cause for catastrophe. In Buffalo, however, snow is a way of life for nearly half the calendar year.
This year, university officials are developing a plan to increase wintertime accessibility for UB's disabled students.
According to Louis Schmitt, UB's director for facilities operations, new initiatives take effect this year to maximize access during inclement weather and make it easier for disabled people to navigate the ice and snow.
"We have focused on handicapped access by maintaining access on the same level for handicapped people," said Schmitt.
Schmitt said UB is working toward furthering the standards and goals set out by the Americans With Disabilities Act.
At UB, making both campuses safe during the winter for all students can be a daunting task, but a clear operating procedure is in place to ensure the most can be made of bad situations.
"First, we hope for no snow," said Richard Donderewicz, chief janitor of University Facilities.
Schmitt explained the normal sequence of events if hope fails and snow begins to fall.
"Let's assume it's 11 p.m. and something needs to be done," Schmitt said. "Public Safety monitors the roadways. When it gets to two to four inches they call and we get people in on overtime, because our nighttime skeleton crew can't do it all."
As more workers report in, work is done to prepare UB for normal operations in the morning.
"After the crew gets here, we get the place cleaned up and then deal with issues as they develop. It really depends on staying ahead of the snow," said Schmitt.
"The forecast is something we look at but it comes down to, 'Are we able to keep the roadways and walkways clear?'"
According to Schmitt, whether UB closes due to the snowfall often hinges on whether local towns announce driving bans.
While most UB students see snow as a fact of life, sentiments vary on how effectively they feel snow removal is completed.
"I thought the snow removal on campus was very good last year," said Greg Torbenson, a junior computer engineering major. "I can't really provide a strong opinion on this year's removal, since we've had so little snowfall thus far, but I don't expect to have any complaints this year either."
"Personally I'd like to see them focus on the major sidewalks as much as they did last year," he said. "But that should probably be secondary to getting the parking lots and roads cleared so that commuters can get in."
Kathy Smith, a junior business major, said she wants a more concerted effort towards walkways and parking lots.
"I think that when students have to walk through two feet of snow, or footpaths to get from the parking lots to their classes that there is a problem with the snow removal," said Smith.
"The only places where I think there hasn't been enough snow removal are the parking lots," said Evan Halstead, a junior electrical engineering major. "But to be fair, it's difficult to plow parking lots because there isn't much room. I think that they are doing the best they can, and I can't fault them for that."
Aside from the improvements for disabled students, neither Schmitt nor Donderewicz are planning many changes in terms of strategy or priority for this year's inevitable snowfall.
