Accessible Outreach Campaign
PIE is currently focusing its work on advocating for more barrier-free schools for students with physical disabilities. We are not only looking to increase the number of opportunities and programs available to students with physical disabilities, but we are also advocating for students and families to have more concrete information on the schools that are accessible
Our work on this issue has included:
- Held a Speak Out with the ARISE Coalition to raise awareness on the issue. The Speak Out included a panel of students talking about their experiences identifying and attending accessible schools
- Testifying at New York City Council budget hearings on the issue of accessibility and the need for more funding to increase the number of barrier-free schools in the City.
- Working intensively with a group of 7 families with students with physical disabilities to support and advocate for them as they participated through the high school admission process and searched for appropriate barrier-free schools.
- Co-authoring with Maggie Moroff, coordinator of the ARISE Coalition, an editorial entitled, “More Schools Must be Accessible to the Disabled” which was published in Schoolbook.org in February 2016.
- Launching an online survey, “Barrier Free Schools Survey” with the ARISE Coalition to learn about the experiences of students and adults with disabilities who need accessible schools.
With a generous grant from the New York Community Trust, we continue to tackle this issue from many perspectives. Currently we are:
- Collecting information about the accessibility of public schools in NYC;
- Providing information about the accessibility of public schools in NYC; and
- Advocating and helping families who need to matriculate to an accessible school
Please contact us if you:
- Have information about Good or Bad experiences with accessible schools
- Need information about accessible schools
- Need help matriculating to an accessible school
