“I wish for a world that views disability, mental or physical, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities.”― Oliver Sacks, neurologist

We all want to live in a town that we can be proud of, so I’m going to explain why I want to bring attention to improving old facilities in this town. The main things that need to be recognized are handicap accessibility in parking lots and the Pocahontas High School building. The reason I want to bring more attention to these topics is because if the town doesn't fix these issues now, it's going to cost more in the future. The way things are going right now, someone is going to get sued or something possibly worse- someone will get hurt.

The first spot I would fix in the school is the elevator to the cafeteria and replace it with a good ramp. Because the elevator breaks down a lot, students and visitors can't get up to the cafeteria to eat. This just makes it harder on everyone, including caretakers and injured students. 

Another issue is available parking places. I counted only 5  handicap spaces to serve the whole high school. I think we need more handicap parking spots, especially when we host so many events like football games. We average a total of 15 home games for each football season. During football games, there are about 22 to 40 visitors at our campus. These numbers do vary depending on which schools we play. The visitor side of the stadium also has no handicap seating. What kind of host are we if we aren't welcoming? 

We host even more basketball games. For basketball games there are 21 games at home during the season, and also three games a night. We have over 35 to 45 visitors come to the basketball gym each game on a regular night. When a visitor comes to campus for a basketball game, currently there is no handicap seating for someone in a wheelchair. Other mobility aids, such as walkers, canes, or crutches, would also be difficult to navigate on the bleachers, as well.

Another thing to consider is the hallways in the high school. Of course, there are a lot more facility issues that need to be fixed, and I think without acknowledging these issues, it's easy to forget how accessibility needs to be available for everyone in the school. 395 students are currently enrolled at Pocahontas High School, and according to Tracy Gholson, Pocahontas High School nurse, “we have about 20 to 25 students with crutches or wheelchairs each year.” To enter the building, you have to take stairs or enter a side entrance. This is a huge issue. Once you are inside, you have to use stairs because there are no indoor ramps. There are also no handicap accessible doors, which is important because not everyone in a wheelchair has the strength to push open the heavy doors.

The last topic we are going to bring attention to is the Pocahontas High school.There is not enough space in the high school, we even have to go down to the junior high for some classes. When a staff person was interviewed, they said that “having all high school classes at the high school would help a lot. I’ve seen a couple of kids that already are injured, come out of bad weather, and their crutches slip and fall out from under them. They  ended up getting more hurt from it.” 

Also the cafeteria ladies have to serve 2nd chance breakfast in the concession stand. This is really hard on them because they have to transport all the food down there. As I mentioned before, there are no handicap accessible ramps from the cafeteria  to the concession stands. This isn't fair to the lunch ladies or students, but with improved accessibility, it would help everyone.

 In the words of Oliver Sacks, if accessibility is improved, it will actually help everyone. Whether you are currently injured, or will one day face a disability, our school should be a welcoming one for everyone. To me, that is the spirit of a truly democratic society.