Amanda

Student

I'm highly at-risk, so when I heard about Portal, it's been amazing to use every day because I don't need to expose myself to germs on entrance surfaces!

Tiger

Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management

Almost immediately, the students’ response was remarkable. Right then, I knew we had to move this forward somehow. We gave one to a lady who has a vision impairment, and while I don’t think she’s completely blind, she has a hard time judging how far away from something she is. She would hear the door open and know she could just go on through, so it’s not just wheelchair users who it’s helping. As we’ve rolled it out full scale, I would say that the number of usages we’re getting tells the story in and of itself. The numbers of hits are in the hundreds, whether that’s a couple people using the doors a whole lot, or a lot of people using it a few times, it’s making a big difference.

Bob

Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management

The problem Portal is solving is important. It's important to meet the needs of individuals that struggle quietly to get access to wherever they need on campus. I believe Portal will be the new standard for all buildings, so I'm planning the technology to be in all new buildings we have in the works.

Pola

Accessibility Services Director

We're always looking for better ways to provide a more inclusive environment on campus. One way we've been able to achieve this is through physical access—to buildings, classrooms, university events. Our students who use mobility assistive devices or have limited mobility in their hands use Portal to access university events seamlessly just like any able-bodies student can.

Kylie

Physical Therapist

The biggest thing that I absolutely love is that I don’t have to worry about the door slamming on me and making a big scene. It’s embarrassing for people like me when that happens. Now I don’t have to worry about it not being open in time and I don’t have to worry about going out of my way to push a button.

Lina

Student

Before using the app, I got stuck in doors about 40% of the time. Doors would close too soon, or I'd get stuck in the middle of two doors, or the buttons would be out of reach so I'd have to wait for someone to open the door for me. Now, for the first time in my life, I can feel confident going wherever I need to go on campus. And I'm on time to class!