By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
All of the buildings in the Hays school district were constructed before the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The structures were built without disabled access in mind.
However, with the construction of a new high school proposed under Hays USD 489 bond issue and renovation of the other existing schools, meeting ADA standards could be possible for the first time.
In building assessments done by USD 489's architect, DLR, the district's elementary schools scored lowest on disabled access.
The DLR report looked at path of travel, door hardware and restroom clearance.
Lincoln Elementary School, Westside School and Rockwell Administration Center — the district's oldest buildings — all scored one out of five on these measures. The district's latest bond proposal recommends the closure of all three of these centers.
All three of these centers have stairs but no elevators. Students who have mobility issues can't access the upper floors of the schools. At Westside, the middle school and high school students have classrooms on the second floor. Lincoln also houses upper grades on the second floor of its building.
Students at Lincoln also have to maneuver a set of stairs to enter the cafeteria, which is in the basement of the school.
O'Loughlin Elementary School received two out of five on the scale and Roosevelt and Wilson elementary schools earned three out of five on the scale.
Wilson is recommended for closure as an elementary school, but will likely house the new administration center. Roosevelt and O'Loughlin schools would be renovated under the bond proposal.
"I would say all of our buildings do the best they can with what we have," said Lindy McDaniel, assistant director of the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative, which serves Hays.
"It's not as if we are not meeting students' needs, but I think of it in terms of universal design."
The concept is designing learning spaces so all students can access the space.
"Just because we need a ramp for the child in the wheelchair, doesn't mean that other kids can't benefit from the ramp," she said. ...
"I just feel the bond is going to offer us this huge opportunity to give access to all in a better way."
Nicole Linenberger, Hays High School special education teacher, spoke at a forum for the bond on Jan. 6 and advocated for improvements to the district's schools to increase access for disabled students.
She said doors may have push-button openers, but the kids can't back up fast enough to miss being hit by the doors. Linenberger said she had to buy her students a doorbell, so someone could open the door for them.
Students with mobility issues can only use one bathroom at the high school. Students have to go through a classroom and interrupt class to use that one accessible bathroom, Linenberger said.
"Only a few classrooms have enough space so these kids can walk around in the classrooms and enjoy like the other kids," she said.
Her own classroom is very tight. She has put all the desks in the room together so students have room to go up to the board and do their daily activities like the other students.
She said some of her students are physically disabled only and lose out socially because of accessibility issues. They feel excluded or they feel like they can’t participate like other students at the school, Linenberger said.
McDaniel said students at USD 489 usually go out of their way to help their peers, but officials want students to be as independent as possible.
The district has had students in wheelchairs in the past, but it does not have any in wheelchairs at this time, she said.
"We could even have a staff member that needs better access," she said.
McDaniel said she also looks at the buildings through the lens of students' social/emotional needs.
"Forty years ago when Hays High was built, kids' needs were very different, and learning was very different," she said. "It was sitting in your desk, participating and listening to lecture.
"Now it's small groups. It's collaborative. They just need more space to get their needs met."
McDaniel said she would like to see additional therapeutic space where students could go if they are having difficulty emotionally.
Cramped classrooms are not benefiting children with invisible disabilities, such as ADHD, autism or anxiety, McDaniel said.
"Are there kids who struggle with anxiety because there's not enough space in buildings to just give them a moment?" she said. "Everything is so cramped because we have so many kids."
Little modifications to the current buildings can make a big difference, McDaniel said.
Just increasing hallway space so there is more room for students during passing periods, can make an environment safer for a student with a disability, she said.
Students with hearing disabilities also were often not considered in early school designs, Mc Daniel said. DLR officials said they take into consideration the ability of students to hear when they construct new buildings or work on renovation projects.
This could mean not locating a wood shop next to a lecture room or a boiler room next to the audio/visual classroom.