More than 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted, New York City schools continue to lag far behind the law in terms of accessibility. With less than one-third of public schools fully accessible to people with disabilities, Public Attorney Williams is advancing legislation that would require transparency into ADA compliance in the city’s school facilities. “Many students with disabilities are barred from attending their neighborhood schools because of inaccessible infrastructure,” Public Attorney Jumaane D. Williams said at a City Council Education Committee hearing this afternoon. “Not only does this mean these students do not have full access to their communities, but it also means they have to attend inaccessible schools, which can mean hours of bus rides each day, reducing learning time. Students are also prohibited from participating in after-school programs unless they have someone to provide transportation home, because the school bus will not take them home. This lack of accessibility also means families of students with accessibility needs and community members are unable to attend events and meetings at these schools.” The Public Advocate’s bill, Intro 399, would require the Department of Education to report annually on the degree to which school facilities comply with the ADA. It would also make it easier to contact each school’s ADA coordinator and provide clear and publicly available information on the process for requesting accommodations and the ability of zoned schools to accommodate students and staff with disabilities.Now, as the Public Advocate stated, “More than 30 years after the ADA became law, New Yorkers with disabilities are still barred from enrolling in or attending many schools.” The public reporting required by the bill would provide students, parents, and staff with critical information about individual schools and highlight areas in need of urgent reform. The Public Advocate has frequently spoken about the challenges he faced navigating the school system while living with Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD. His experiences have informed his advocacy on disability justice issues throughout his tenure, including the release of his report “Out of Service” on the MTA’s lack of accessibility infrastructure and the urgent need for investment. Speaking about the need to adequately fund accessibility improvements amid ongoing budget cuts across the city, he argued, “Every year we do not meaningfully prioritize making school buildings accessible is a year in which students are unable to attend the school they want, or spend valuable school time trying to get to a school that is acceptable to them.” Read the Public Advocate’s full comments to the committee below. Statement to the New York City Council Education Committee by Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams June 18, 2024 Hello, I am Jumaane D. Williams. I serve as the Public Advocate for New York City. I want to thank Chairman Joseph and the members of the Education Committee for convening this important hearing. Last August, New York child advocates found that only 31.1% of New York City schools are fully accessible to people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the government to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to public programs and services, including public education. However, many students with disabilities are barred from attending their neighborhood schools due to inaccessible infrastructure. Not only does this mean that these students do not have full access to their communities, but it also means that they must attend schools that are accessible. This means hours of bus rides every day, potentially cutting into their learning time. And because school buses do not travel home, students cannot attend after-school programs unless someone is willing to provide transportation home. This lack of access also means that families and community members of students with accessibility needs cannot attend events and meetings at these schools. Advocates for Children has asked for $1.25 billion to be allocated to improve school accessibility to make an additional 150 to 200 school buildings fully accessible by 2029. However, in the proposed FY25 budget, the School Construction Administration only allocates $800 million to improving accessibility. Every year that we do not meaningfully prioritize making school buildings accessible is a year in which students cannot attend the school of their choice or spend valuable class time traveling to an accommodating school. Today, we will consider my bill, Intro 399. This bill would require the Department of Education to annually report on the extent to which indoor and outdoor school facilities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, the bill would make public the contact information for each school’s ADA coordinator, the procedure for requesting accommodations, and information on the extent to which designated schools are able to accommodate students and staff with disabilities. More than 30 years after the ADA was signed into law, New Yorkers with disabilities are still barred from enrolling in or attending many schools. Thank you.