I find barriers to access all the time. A curb cut buried under a mountain of plowed snow, making the sidewalk impossible to access. A website with auto-playing and distracting video, blinding a user from noticing any meaningful content. A giant image packed with text, making the information inaccessible to screen readers.
I never expected to find a barrier within the academic rigor of my child's second grade curriculum.
Without going into detail in a public forum, second grade has been a rough – and illogical – year. My child's grades were drastically different from last year for no obvious reason. Feedback from parent-teacher conferences contradicted issues printed on report cards. I thought these issues lied only with us. I only recently learned I was wrong. A (larger-than-I-expected number) of parents had a meeting, sharing our surprisingly similar experiences. We discovered some systemic issues along the way. Our concerns were sent to the principal. The principal, in turn, invited us to meet in a listening session. Parents talk. Administrators listen.
This sounds perfect on paper, until the principal shared the required details of the meeting.
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The meeting will happen in just a few days.
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The meeting must be start exactly at 5pm and end exactly at 6pm.
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The meeting must be held in person at the school. There are no hybrid or remote options.
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If someone arrives after 4:58pm, the school will be locked and they will not be able to get in.
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Parents may only speak about their own personal experiences. A parent who is unable to attend is not allowed to ask anyone else to speak on their behalf.
Here is what each of those requirements mean:
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Short notice creates a limited amount of time to secure childcare, if necessary.
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The timing of the meeting during the evening commute and dinner time creates a scheduling barrier, particularly with parents who may have a strict work schedule. (This is additionally true in our area, which has notoriously unpredictable traffic during rush hour.)
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An in-person only experience creates an additional barrier for parents contending with either work schedules, the commute, or lack of childcare at that specific time.
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A rigid arrival time creates a barrier for parents contending with work schedules and traffic. A late arrival creates a physical barrier to access the meeting.
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A no-proxy rule limits the feedback presented to only those parents who are able to overcome the timing and in-person obstacles. It also erases the voices of parents who share similar experiences, but are unable to attend.
The school leaders may not intend for these barriers to exist, but they exist nonetheless. The consequences are evident in the number of parents who have already stated that they are unable to attend the meeting.
Don't get me wrong. I love the school's quick actions in organizing this listening session. However, there is a strong potential that this lower attendence will have consequences. It gives the impression that a smaller proportion of parents have concerns. A smaller percentage of attendees can be an excuse to dismiss fixing any potential systemic issues. Another barrier.
This (in-progress) experience is an excellent reminder that access barriers can exist, regardless of ability, and they can absolutely be a surprise. Without being too paranoid, it is important to be mindful of whatever problem we attempt to solve and to keep asking questions. What is causing the problem? Does everyone involved have an equal voice? Who can solve this problem? Are the potential problem-solvers being helpful?
I want to be wrong about this specific problem. In the meantime, I plan to keep observing, advocating, and asking questions.