Too many schools inaccessible for N.L. students with disabilities

The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador says nearly half the province's schools have entrances, doors or hallways that are inaccessible for students with mobility issues. 

The group told CBC News that 110 out of 255 schools are listed as inaccessible.

Some parents are not even taking their kids to school any more.- Emily Christy, COD-NL

Emily Christy, executive director of COD-NL, said the term can mean many things.

"It can often be difficult to navigate, the entrances may not be wide enough or doorways may not have an operating push button to open the door," she said.

"There are also issues of the width of the hallways being inaccessible or stairs on the inside of a school lead down to a gymnasium or a cafeteria."

Christy said washrooms are often a major issue, as are the lack of appropriate lift systems to get students from one floor to the next.

She said students with mobility issues should not be forced to use a back door to get into the school when their classmates go through the front.

"To be a part of your peer group is to travel with them, is to participate with them, is to not to have to leave class early in order to have to go down that lift to get down to the cafeteria or to the gymnasium," Christy said.

She said the use of universal design principles for new schools is something that would go a long way to improve access, improvements that would benefit all users.

"It's not just about making it accessible for person with disabilities, but it is about everybody, whether it is mothers or parents coming with strollers or delivery people using trolleys or dollies to get things into the school."

Lack of money no excuse

Christy said the issues now with some schools have caused some families to take drastic steps.

"Some parents are not even taking their kids to school any more," she said. "There were some school closures that have moved students around and parents have kept their children home because of it."

She said for government to say that financial constraints prevent appropriate renovations is no excuse.

"In reality it is against the human rights of the children to not have freedom to access education so that is a really big challenge and a really big issue."

Christy said COD-NL and the English School District of Newfoundland and Labrador have a great relationship, and her group has assisted the board by auditing the accessibility of several schools.

"They are willing to work with us to make sure schools being built moving forward are working in universal design principals," she said.

"The new [Waterford Valley] high school on Topsail Road [in St. John's] is beautifully designed and very accessible."