Boston City Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy are once more pushing for a brand new wheelchair-accessible entrance to English High School after months of stalled makes an attempt to repair an entrance that leaves children in wheelchairs dodging by means of the college’s dumpsters.
“We wanted to bring your attention to an issue that has been of concern to Councilor Murphy and Council President Flynn for over a year and has been a priority of our offices: your school’s accessibility, particularly for students with physical disabilities,” the councilors wrote in a letter to the English High group Friday.
The present entrance utilized by college students in wheelchairs, City Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy stated, is the supply and dumpster entrance on the college. The small entrance partially blocked by poles and dumpsters presents quite a lot of difficulties to the scholars and employees serving to them, she stated, together with requiring academics to elevate the chairs.
The difficulty was raised earlier than metropolis employees throughout Civic Engagement Day on Oct. 12, 2022, when a non-verbal scholar in a wheelchair defined the state of affairs to a number of metropolis officers.
After over a yr, there was no building on the challenge, in line with the councilors. At a City Council assembly Thursday, Flynn known as on BPS to repair the ramp and guarantee full accessibility inside 14 days.
Over the final yr, Murphy and Flynn stated, they’ve been in touch with Mayor’s Office, Superintendent Skipper’s workplace, Boston Transportation Department, Commission of Persons with Disabilities and Boston Public Facilities administration, with gradual to stalled progress on a plan.
Officials from the college beforehand indicated the challenge was deliberate to be accomplished over the summer time, however no building was began by the beginning of faculty.
In the letter Friday although, the councilors stated “the response from the administration of the Boston Public Schools has been underwhelming.”
Murphy filed an order in September requesting info on the challenge and plans. No response was given, Murphy and Flynn stated, they refiled the order on Nov. 1.
The letter additionally apologized to the English excessive group for the “lack of responsiveness” on a “serious problem with a relatively simple solution.”
“The lack of equitable and ADA compliant wheelchair accessibility puts such students at a disadvantage, unduly burdens teachers and staff, and flies in the face of what we talk about when we prioritize equal treatment under the law,” the letter learn. “The whole English High community deserves full accessibility — period, full stop.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”