Okay, so this isn't a picture of the Edmunds schools in Burlington (it's a one-room Vermont schoolhouse in Stratton). But both were built before people had accessibility in mind.
And, as I wrote in an article in today's Seven Days newspaper, that's causing some parents to ask when Burlington's schools will become accessible for the disabled -- not just the few students using wheelchairs, but teachers and members of the public with mobility issues, or any student who injures a leg while skiing.
The Edmunds schools, joined middle and elementary schools located on Burlington's Main Street, are the toughest for the disabled to navigate. Children with mobility disabilities aren't allowed to attend -- or can't attend -- because it's impossible for them to reach their classrooms with the buildings' many stairs and floors. Fixing the school to reach ADA compliance could reach $15 million, school officials told me.
And that might prove tough to get the money in today's economic climate. But there's a glimmer of hope with Obama's economic plan, in that some of those funds might be available for a project just like Edmunds.
