Rocky Mountain High School has been open since 1973, and as time passes, changes are an essential requirement.
According to the US Department of Education “Since its enactment in 1990, the ADA has played a crucial role in expanding protection against discrimination in education. Schools across the country—serving students from pre-K through graduate school—must make their offerings available and accessible to all students, including those with and without disabilities.”
Rocky does meet ADA standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s accessible for all students to get around. After approval from the admin, I checked out a wheelchair and navigated my way around Rocky. In my one day experience, I found that making my way around the school was more difficult than I anticipated.
Not only was this experiment difficult, but it was also shocking to test how complicated it can be to move throughout the school.
What I found most difficult about moving around in the wheelchair was getting through doors and getting to the restrooms, which shocked me the most.
When walking through doors that connect the outdoors to the indoors, there are two metal pieces under the door called sill deck and threshold. This is supposed to prevent water and air from coming in and out of the building.
The sill deck is a ramp, but the threshold is a bit taller and makes it very hard for things to get through, like wheels. When I was going through those doors, I was unable to go through them by myself. I was able to get through with help, but it was a lot of work for the person helping me because they had to lift the chair.
Going into the women’s restroom was surprisingly one of the hardest things I tested. The walkway into the bathroom is so narrow, there is not enough room to turn to go into the actual bathroom without hitting a wall. Not to mention the trash cans are placed in the walkways, making it even more narrow.
The most unexpected thing I encountered when going through the restrooms was the number of handicapped stalls. Out of all the restrooms I visited, only three had handicap stalls– Maroon Bells, bathrooms by the senior doors, and the locker rooms.
The school has a lot of ramps, which in ADA and the US Department of Education words is good and works for those who are unable to use stairs. But it is evident that someone who can’t use stairs did not test these ramps. Going up the ramps is a lot of work; they are very steep and take a lot of arm power to successfully get up.
There is one ramp that leads up to student services, but it is too bendy and steep to even attempt going up solo.
The things we label as “accessible” are not always accessible. They may be convenient for regulation, but saying it is accessible isn’t necessarily true. This experiment was done in empty hallways and bathrooms during class, which was already difficult. I don’t want to imagine how hard it would be in a hallway full of students and staff. Next time you’re walking through the halls, be mindful of the people around you. Also, don’t use the handicap stall unless you need it!
