Protesters at Virginia Tech "Sit Out" against stairs without ADA ramps

Protesters at Virginia Tech voiced their contempt for the university after a new staircase was built on campus without a wheelchair ramp nearby.

The new stairs have walls on either side, blocking access to non-walkers.

Assistant Professor of Science and Technology in Society Ashley Shew has an amputated leg and said she'll have to walk further.

She said, "I might spend decades of my life walking around these buildings because Virginia Tech has installed another staircase that I can't access all the time, that is not some place that I can use safely."

Martina Svyantek, a graduate student added, "If you're going this route day after day, it starts to wear on you, because you constantly have to put in that extra time and that extra effort because when they designed the space, they weren't designing to include you."

Protesters tried out the difference in walking time.

Taking the stairs took 13 seconds, while going the ADA route took 3 minutes and 29 seconds.