When I say āschool should be disability accessibleā, I donāt just mean we need handicap rails and EAs. Kids should be able to miss a day without failing out of school. You shouldnāt be dismissed from clubs because your attendance record is āspottyā (true story). I once missed an entire week of school because of a terrible, unending migraine. I was expected to keep up with my studies despite the blinding pain that came with working on my computer. When I heard my teachers say that you couldnāt miss exams, I asked what I would have to do to be excused from them. Their response? āEither get a doctorās note an hour before the exam or death of an immediate family member.ā
I cannot express how rigid this expectation was. First of all, with my condition, I wouldnāt have enough warning about my sickness to go to the doctor and request a note. For many people, this is exceptionally difficult, especially with the current shortage of medical professionals. Next, it ignores the fact that my schedule may not line with theirs because of my medical needs. Once, I had to visit a hospital a province away (which I was on the waiting list of for over a year) on the same day as an exam. I begged my mother not to take me because I was so nervous that I would be marked as an automatic fail. I was lucky enough to make it work, but thatās only because of my spectacular support system consisting of family members and wonderful doctors.
Disabilities arenāt always about needing a bus that can accommodate wheelchairs. Itās already difficult enough for many of us to maintain school attendance without the harsh punishments involved for skipping a day. We need to be able to miss school without being punished. Only than can you claim that the school is āaccessibleā
