By Isaac Halsey
Paris District High School, although founded exactly 100 years ago, has been renovated to try to fit the accessibility stands of today. However, beneath the wheelchair buttons and ramps lies a bumpy road to the destination of true accessibility, for everyone.
A recent graduate, who wished to be anonymous, had a negative experience, that to her revealed how much further we still have to go.
They have a disability that requires a psychiatric service dog, although they didn’t bring their dog to school during their years as a student at PDHS. Their disability would be classified as an invisible disability.
Their graduation ceremony was held in the large gym on a setup stage. When the student requested to bring their service dog to graduation, the school administration was skeptical.
“Admin was against my service dog at grad because of a policy that applies to students with guide (seeing eye) dogs,” the student said.“They said since my disability is invisible I didn’t need my service dog, and if I could not provide service dog certification then I could not bring her (the service dog).”
However, as per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which was an act passed in 2005 outlining laws for enforcing accessibility standards, states all that is required is a doctor’s note confirming the person needs the service dog, and that the service dog is well-behaved, both of which the graduate student had.
“At the time when I requested to bring my service dog with me, I was not a student at Paris District High School, so I shouldn’t have had to fall under the students policy. I asked both the principal and superintendent how it would be any different from a graduate’s parent or sibling bringing a service dog, and was told they could not answer my question,” they said.
The policy they are referring to requires proof of MRAS program training for a dog to be allowed in school with them.
“It’s very discriminating. MRAS programs are incredibly expensive, some are almost $20 000, and MRAS has a history of mistreatment and abuse to their handlers and dogs,” they said.
The graduating student and their parents brought this up to Grand Erie’s chair of the board, Susan Gibson, who overruled the school administrators’ decision, and the service dog was allowed to be with the graduate at the ceremony.
She believes that this situation would have been different if her disability had been more visible.
“If I needed a wheelchair ramp to go onto the stage to get my diploma and they refused, everyone would see that they didn’t accommodate me because I would’ve had to wheel in front of the stage, and that would make them look bad,” they said.“With my service dog, no one would know if I had one or not, if I didn’t bring her (the service dog), so it wouldn’t have made them look bad.”
Visible disabilities at PDHS don’t always fare much better, though. Claire Livingston, a grade 11 student currently attending PDHS, had to use crutches for a sprained ankle this year.
“I used them for three days, and I had to leave early before lunch because there was too much traffic. Getting around by myself was the hardest thing for me to do,” she said. “I think technically our school is accessible, but in the least accessible way.”
She then explained the lengthy journey it would take to get to her locker from the library. She essentially had to walk in a circle around the whole school, or go around the school outside, to get to her locker at the end of the first floor.
Claire expressed concern that some doors’ wheelchair accessible buttons didn’t work, and that at three out of seven outside doors to get into the school were not level so they were not viable options for her.
Whether you have a visible disability, or an invisible disability, Paris District High School is not equipped to acquire your needs. There is hope though. As stated at the
beginning of the article, our school was not designed for people with visible and invisible disabilities. With our school getting renovations to make some new classrooms and study areas this summer, and laws requiring accessibility in buildings in place, we hope to see improvements.
Thank you to Claire Livingston and the anonymous student for agreeing to be interviewed.
