An important area for school safety planning that is often overlooked is school accessibility for students with disabilities. Accessibility barriers in public schools remain pervasive even decades after the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which bars disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Some of these barriers pose significant problems for ensuring school safety for students with disabilities. For example, students who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters must have an effective means of evacuating during a safety threat situation, such as a fire emergency when elevators may not be used.
A new resource is available that provides valuable information on public school accessibility. Schools are encouraged to review and consider including information from this resource in their school safety planning. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, K-12 Education: Justice Should Provide Information to Help School Districts Improve Access for People with Disabilities, found two-thirds of the nation’s school districts have facilities with physical barriers that may limit access for people with disabilities. In response to this GAO report, the Justice Department, in consultation with the Department of Education, recently developed a virtual training on designing accessible public school buildings. This new resource fills a gap; few resources currently exist focusing specifically on accessibility in the context of public schools. The GAO report noted that public schools lack access to information about accessibility requirements and called on the Justice Department to make additional resources on this topic available.
Presented by an architect for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the training video describes accessibility features schools should consider to ensure they are accessible to students with disabilities as required by the ADA. The training explains key accessibility features needed by students with disabilities to get to school, participate in classes and get around school buildings and facilities, use playground equipment and participate in school activities. The training is user-friendly, with diagrams and photographs showing examples of accessibility barriers and required accessibility features.
Providing accessible public schools requires accessible routes and entrances. Schools must reserve accessible parking spaces, ensure curb ramps and walkways are not too steep or uneven, have adequate entrance signage and have accessible doors and security check-ins. Corridors, classrooms and toilet rooms must be easy to navigate without presenting obstacles or other protruding objects. Common-use areas such as libraries and media centers, cafeterias, auditoriums, play areas and stadiums must be accessible so no student is unable to participate in activities occurring in these spaces. For additional information regarding federal accessibility requirements, visit www.ADA.gov. Links to relevant laws, regulations and standards, including the ADA’s accessibility requirements for state and local government entities are available on this website.
School accessibility is critical not just for ensuring equal educational opportunity but also for making sure students with disabilities can remain safe in educational settings. Families and communities entrust public schools to keep their children safe from various emergency events like accidents, crime and natural disasters. Effective emergency planning includes actions schools should take to prevent these incidents from occurring and mitigate their impact when they do occur.
To ensure students with disabilities remain safe during emergencies, schools should take an inclusive approach by reflecting these needs in emergency management planning. Planners should consider various disabilities — visual, communication-related mobility issues cognitive challenges attentional difficulties emotional-related vulnerabilities —to adequately protect them during emergencies Once identified schools can acquire appropriate personnel equipment supplies support them
SchoolSafety.gov suggests strategies resources inclusive emergency planning here Further Department Education Readiness Emergency Management Schools Technical Assistance Center fact sheet describes how integrate K-12 students before during after emergency accordance laws It provides districts proactive decisions considering best address each needs keep them secure
The new Justice Department webinar complements existing resources offering comprehensive overview specific requirements necessary ensure physical under ADA It provides online training materials links technical assistance specific facilities addresses issues impact security includes plain language about classrooms recreational equipment grounds factored into efforts safely evacuated highly recommend review incorporate into
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