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DEI advisory moves to pursue accessibility audit and building walk-throughs; parents to raise issues at CELAC
Summary
At its April 23 meeting, the North Kingstown DEI advisory committee agreed to pursue an accessibility and inclusion audit for school buildings and grounds and to solicit parent feedback at an upcoming CELAC meeting.
During the April 23 meeting the DEI advisory committee reviewed plans for an accessibility and inclusion audit of school buildings and grounds, aiming to identify physical and programmatic barriers and to gather parent input via CELAC.
Mary Lowe Prestige, identified in the meeting as a parent advocate, said the draft checklist would cover parking, ramps, bathrooms, playground surfacing, signage and the language accessibility of event materials. Committee members noted a distinction between legal accessibility (meeting minimum standards) and inclusive accessibility (how visible, welcoming and usable facilities and communications are for diverse families). "Something might be accessible, but that does not mean that it is friendly," one member said.
Participants suggested practical next steps: (1) seek existing checklists or guidance from the state governor’s commission on disability or similar bodies; (2) convene a team for building walk-throughs that could include facilities staff, administrators and parent representatives; and (3) bring the topic to the next CELAC meeting for parent feedback. Committee members volunteered to contact the governor’s commission about available checklists.
Members also raised specific facility concerns: the high-school elevator location is distant from many classrooms and is perceived as awkward or unsafe by some families and students; accessible parking and routes were described as sometimes poorly sited for van lifts; and playground surfacing must allow wheelchair access (rubberized surfaces instead of wood chips). The committee said the district’s Capital Improvement Plan includes some accessibility work but that additional items—particularly signage, circulation, and classroom-area visibility—may not yet be scheduled.
No formal vote occurred; the committee agreed Mary Lowe Prestige would raise the audit and parent-feedback item at the upcoming CELAC meeting, and staff or volunteers will seek ready-made assessment tools and coordinate potential walk-through teams.
