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University of Rhode Island Associate Athletic Director for Communication/New Media Shane Donaldson, who has traveled with the team to every away game, shared a photo that went viral of the ladder, which prevented him from calling the game against Virginia Commonwealth University, drawing the ire of many.
At the game at VCU’s Siegel Center in Richmond, Donaldson said that he was unable to climb the ladder leading to the media booth, which is completely surrounded by fencing, sharing the photo on social media while advising that his partner was going to have to call the game solo.
“Not ideal for anyone. Certainly not for someone with cerebral palsy. Stone Freeman will have the solo call tonight,” he tweeted with the photo. “To the listeners, I’m sorry.”
VCU moved their media booth to the second level at the start of the season to permit more floor seating, leading to the fenced-in section.
Bob Black, who broadcasts for the University of Richmond also chimed in with a tweet condemning VCU.
“Embarrassing. VCU used to be the best radio location in @A10MBB. Haven’t been there yet this year, but it appears to now be the worst,” he said.
Donaldson is now advocating for a long-term solution.
"When when they offered to make other arrangements, they didn't have a specific plan," he said to WTVR, CBS6 in Richmond. "It was kind of like they were looking over the arena. And saying, we'll try to figure out somewhere else to put you.
“The fact that this is a setup that they had in the first place is really egregious. The lack of thought that was involved in that decision is kind of appalling," Donaldson added. "And if I just accept that they fix something for me, in the moment, then I'm not doing anything to make it better for the next person."
VCU Vice President and Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin offered a public apology on behalf of the university, apologizing for causing "undue emotional harm,” after he said he personally apologized to Donaldson.
“I spoke with Shane Donaldson this morning, as well as Rhode Island’s Director of Athletics, Thorr Bjorn. In both open and honest conversations, I apologized on behalf of VCU Athletics for causing undue emotional harm,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
“Access and inclusion are central to our values, and we fell short last night,” the statement says. “We will learn from this mistake so we can eliminate barriers to inclusion in the future. We will continue working with the University’s ADA office to evaluate and rectify the situation immediately.”
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