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Accessible Large-Scale Emergency Response Plans in Education

Currently, there are no AODA education standards. However, two AODA standards development committees have drafted recommendations of guidelines that AODA education standards should include. One committee has recommended guidelines for the kindergarten to grade twelve (K-12) education system. In this article, we outline recommendations for accessible large-scale emergency response plans in education.

Accessible Large-Scale Emergency Response Plans in Education

The Committee reports that students with disabilities face many new and worsening accessibility barriers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The education system has not been able to respond to this large-scale emergency in ways that meet all the needs of these students. Therefore, the Committee recommends that the Ministry of Education should review and improve its emergency response plan to remove these barriers. Reviewing this plan will help the Ministry and school boards prepare to meet all students’ needs during future emergencies.

This improved plan should include a risk assessment to identify various hazards or consequences that students with disabilities may face as a result of different emergencies. Then, the plan should outline options to reduce the impact of these risks, hazards, or barriers on students’ education. For instance, an emergency situation may require the Ministry to mandate:

  • Shorter school days
  • New health protocols
  • Smaller class sizes
  • Remote learning for part or all of a:
    • Day
    • Week
    • Term

School staff should be prepared to guide students through all these possible changes, and to teach in ways that make these new routines fully accessible. For example, staff should be ready to offer accessible learning materials and digital communication for any students transitioning between in-person and online learning. Likewise, school boards should know how to offer support in an emergency to students making other transitions, such as from:

  • Elementary school to high school
  • High school to university or college
  • High school to work

Moreover, some emergencies may mean that more students will need support in school. For instance, some students who contract COVID-19 may return to school with disabilities they have gained, including:

  • Breathing disorders
  • Brain injuries
  • Mental illnesses

Therefore, school boards should have staff and resources ready to provide support to a growing number of students with disabilities.

Allocating Responsibilities

In addition, the Ministry should collect data about which schools have the infrastructure needed to support students with disabilities in the event of an emergency. This data will help the Ministry and school boards allocate resources so that more schools can succeed in emergency conditions.

The plan should also identify specific people who will be responsible for ensuring that students receive the support they need. For instance, the plan should list the responsibilities of:

  • Ministry personnel
  • School board trustees
  • Classroom teachers
  • Educational assistants
  • Staff who specialize in working with students with disabilities, such as:
    • Teachers of the deaf or hard of hearing
    • Teachers of the blind or visually impaired
  • Other professionals who work with students, such as:
    • Occupational therapists
    • Physiotherapists
    • Speech therapists
    • Social workers
    • Psychologists

Clearly outlining the responsibilities of all staff will help them and their students better adapt to new methods of learning.

Furthermore, the Ministry should seek feedback from students with disabilities during the review and improvement of the plan.

Finally, transitions from high school should also be addressed in the Ministry’s large-scale emergency response plan. In the event of a large-scale emergency that results in remote learning, students may need to transition virtually. The Ministry should ensure that students have the resources they need to make appropriate choices about what to do after high school. For instance, students may be unable to take tours of universities or colleges in-person. However, alternative video tours may not be accessible for all students. Therefore, the Ministry’s emergency response plan should ensure that all aspects of virtual transitions become accessible. For example, video tours of college campuses or departments should have audio description and captions for students who need them.

In our next article, we will explore school board large-scale emergency response plans.