Inadequate Elevator Access Leads to Some Feeling Overlooked

Central High School highlights diversity as a vital part of the experience at the school. So much so it’s even included in the mission statement. Diversity includes not just race, economic background, and sexuality, but also ability. Central is housed in one of the oldest buildings in the city. It is considered a historical landmark. While that’s an important aspect of the school, it also makes student life harder for those with physical disabilities. At the time Central was built, not much thought was given to how people with disabilities could get around the building, as they were often sent elsewhere and seen as unfit for society at that time.

One of the biggest issues in the school is the general lack of accessibility. The amount of stairs in the building and the old elevator present obstacles for physically disabled students getting around. Sophomore Kween Alabi, who is in a wheelchair, has to deal with it on a daily basis. “Classrooms have minimum space and seating becomes awkward, especially when I’m at a table by myself while everyone else works in groups,” she said.

It’s also hard to get from class to class. The elevator in the school can sometimes breakdown causing students with disabilities to be stuck in a room on the floor they were on when they elevator broke down. The issues that arise because of the inaccessibility of the building can impact a disabled student’s educational experience. According to Alabi, these complications can cause tardiness which “takes away valuable class time.” “It’s a little concerning when you’re more than a few minutes late to class because of accessibility problems,” she said.

This is not the first time accessibility has been an issue at Central High, but the problems have not been fixed mainly because of financial concerns. As previously mentioned, Central is a historical landmark therefore making any repairs and changes to the school is difficult to do without a significant financial commitment. Assistant principal Elisa Kirksey says the school tries to make any possible accommodations, but the administration feels the costs sometimes outweigh the changes that could be made. Some of the most inaccessible classrooms are the art rooms on the fourth floor and the choir rooms which have little space and don’t allow for mobility in a wheelchair. She states that the new addition will solve a lot of the accessibility problems which are very evident in those areas. Unfortunately, until the new addition of the school is finished, there is not much that will be done to improve the obvious issues of accessibility.

The lack of accessibility may lead some to feel like disabled students are overlooked, but Kirksey believes a lot of times the school is just unaware of the struggles that many disabled students at Central face and the school is “trying to do a better job of getting it right.”

Kirksey recommends that disabled students who may feel out of place should talk to their teachers and administrators with any issues they feel need to be addressed. “All we can do as people is try to address those feelings and concerns,” Kirksey said.

Alabi has expressed her frustrations saying, “Accessibility should be a human right, especially at a school that emphasizes diversity, it’s important to realize disability is a part of diversity. No one really thinks about it unless it personally affects them. Students with disabilities aren’t asking for special treatment. Although there are only a few disabled students at Central, it’s important to include us in the student body.”