GAO Report on School Building Accessibility

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released School Districts Need Better Information to Help Improve Access for People with Disabilities, a report requested by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) that focuses on the physical barriers that may limit access for people with disabilities.

The report finds that “in 55 schools across six states, the most common areas with barriers GAO observed were restrooms, interior doorways, and classrooms. GAO also observed barriers related to safety and security. For example, for security, some schools had installed double-door vestibules with limited maneuvering space that could trap people who use wheelchairs.”

Recommendations include that both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights provide states and school districts with online information, technical assistance, or training materials related to federal accessibility requirements specific to public school facilities and related to safety and security issues.

The GAO report can be found here.

View a briefing on the report here.