“It’s not that I don’t feel included, I feel ignored,” said an I.E. Weldon Secondary School (IEWSS) community member who uses a wheelchair for mobility. This comment sparked a desire amongst staff at IEWSS to spend time learning about what it’s like to navigate the school building from the perspective of a wheelchair user. On February 1 and 2, over 60 staff members held an accessibility challenge, in which departmental teams participated in an obstacle course and scavenger hunt using wheelchairs to travel throughout the building.
As staff maneuvered around obstacles, up ramps, and through heavy doors, departmental teams were asked to consider accessibility in the context of their own unique spaces within the building, as well as the systemic challenges contributing to the experience of IEWSS for a student, staff, or community member with a disability.
There were many lessons learned from the challenge, as well as a few broken fingernails and scuffed knuckles. Words used by staff members to describe the experience included, “humbling, challenging, revelatory, and exhausting,” noting many difficulties in navigating the school. As a result of the event, many staff have committed to taking steps to improve accessibility in classrooms and offices, and to offering assistance to wheelchair users when it is needed.
Congratulations to the custodial team who won the scavenger hunt through their enthusiastic participation and collaboration, and the depth of their reflections!
A very special thank you to Homestead Oxygen & Medical Equipment staff for loaning the wheelchairs for the challenge.
