Accessibility, Equipment and Transportation

Accessibility of School Buildings

The Board is committed to providing school buildings which are accessible to the students with special education needs that it serves. Historically, the Board has responded to the needs of its students by providing the necessary modifications to a school or transporting the student to the most accessible school closest to a student's home school boundary area.

During the school year 2000-01, the Ministry of Education amended Regulation 446/98 to provide boards with a one-time grant intended to provide improved access to its facilities for students with special education needs. In the past, these funds were only be used for their intended purpose and boards were accountable for their use through the development and implementation of a multi-year accessibility plan.

The development of a multi-year accessibility plan has required the co-ordinated efforts of many board departments. In order to use funds efficiently in responding to the accessibility needs of its special education students, the board's multi-year plan must be responsive to its accommodation master plan and its functional equity plan.

In the fall of the 2001-02 school year, a multi-year accessibility plan was developed and initiated. In preparation, all of the Board's schools underwent a preliminary review regarding their state of accessibility.

The Accessibility Working Group of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board has prepared an updated Annual Accessibility Plan (2009-2010) that provides information on the Board's progress in implementing capital improvements and accessibility improvement plans for the next school year.

Members of the public may access the Board's Accessibility Plan at:

http://www.wcdsb.ca/about/pdf/Annual-Accessibility-Plan.pdf

or through copies available in the Principal's office in all schools. On request, the report will be made available on computer disk, in large print format, or Braille.

Individualized Equipment and Special Equipment Amount (SEA) Processes

Special Equipment Amount (SEA) funding from the Ministry of Education can be used to assist school boards with the costs of equipment (computer/non-computer) that is essential to support students with special needs. The need for specific equipment must be recommended or determined by a qualified professional. This equipment is to provide students with access to the Ontario Curriculum and/or to demonstrate learning and /or access school.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has established processes where students who require individualized equipment to access the Ontario curriculum and/or to demonstrate learning, and/or access school will be provided with a variety of access methods to individualized equipment.

Equipment Claims (non-SEA)

In those instances where a student's cumulative equipment (computer and/or non-computer) needs are $800.00 or less, the following process is followed:

• Recommendation for individualized equipment to enable a student to access the Ontario curriculum, and/or to demonstrate learning and/or access school is made by recognized professional Board personnel; i.e. Speech and Language Pathologist, Specialist Teachers of the blind, deaf or deaf/blind or Psychoeducational Consultant. Recommendations may also be made by a recognized professional through an outside source i.e. Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Speech and Language Pathologist or Psychologist.
• Hardware/software computer equipment requests are reviewed by Special Education Technology Committee to determine eligibility, i.e. for computer software the software must be pedagogically sound and must be technically viable to operate on the school's network.
• Efforts are made to share the equipment among several students where appropriate and possible.
• Equipment purchased remains the property of WCDSB.

Special Equipment Amount Claims (SEA)

For students who have needs for equipment (both computer and/or non-computer), the Ministry of Education Special Equipment Amount (SEA) process is used. Eligibility for computer equipment is assessed on an individual student needs basis.

The SEA Guidelines are updated yearly by the Ministry of Education. Please use the following link to view the most recent SEA Guidelines:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/funding/1112/2011_12_SEA_Guidelines.pdf

In those instances where many students in a school would benefit from accessing specialized equipment i.e., voice activated software, adaptive hardware, voice to text software, but do not necessarily meet Ministry requirements for a formalized equipment claim the following accessibility process has been established:

• The Special Education Technology Committee has researched hardware, software and assistive devices that would facilitate access to curriculum and demonstration of student learning.
• The Committee has established an implementation plan whereby all schools will have access to assistive technologies designated for students with a learning profile that would require software and hardware such as, voice-to-text software, text scanning and reading software, talking word processor with word prediction or adapted access software.

For all equipment (SEA and non – SEA) that is recommended by non-WCDSB personnel (i.e., Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Psychologist and/or Speech and Language Pathologist) board staff will ensure that the equipment is compatible with our computer system and/or is appropriate for use at school. WCDSB therefore will make every attempt to collaborate and ensure that recommendations can be implemented.

All equipment purchased is for student use at school. If equipment is to be used at home, parents need to discuss the process with school personnel. If parents wish equipment to be shared between home and school we assist them in pursuing ADP funding.

Membership of the Special Education Technology Committee:

Speech and Language Pathologist	Elementary Special Education Teacher
Itinerant Teacher of Vision	Secondary Special Education Teacher
Psychoeducational Consultant	Personal Computer Network Analyst
Special Education Resource Teacher	Technology Literacy Consultant
Special Education Assistive Technology Resource Teacher	Coordinator of Student Services

Transportation for Students with Special Needs

Currently the Superintendent of Business and Finance has final approval for specialized transportation in consultation with appropriate Learning Services staff.

Requests for transportation are approved based on a student's intellectual ability, behaviour, communication needs, mobility needs and medical needs. It is imperative that all students arrive to and from school safely.

Special and/or alternative methods of transportation may need to be arranged to ensure the student is safely transported. All transportation drivers are informed of the student needs, and steps to follow in case of an emergency. This information is gathered collaboratively from parents and appropriate school personnel.

The process to determine if a student requires special transportation (i.e. a child who is medically fragile and therefore must have a transportation driver with first aid training or if the student must be transported individually, i.e. a child who physically harms others) is collaborative involving the parent, the school Principal and the Superintendent of Business & Finance. The transportation operator is apprised of any additional training that may be necessary.

All transportation drivers of wheelchair vans or taxi's are trained on the topics of safely securing students in the vehicle, disability awareness, emergency procedures, and in safe evacuation procedures. All transportation drivers who transport medically fragile students are trained in first aid and CPR. They must have a suitable criminal background check and pass training tests. Grand River Transit has a training program and an operator's manual to ensure drivers have the necessary knowledge and skills.

Board staff have also been informed of amendments to Child Car Seat Legislation that will impact volunteer drivers for school activities.

When students are placed in programs outside their home school, the board provides transportation. This includes transportation for students who are attending Care and Treatment facilities (e.g., Lutherwood, KidsLink, Young Adult Program) and a Provincial or Demonstration School.

When parents enrol their children with special needs outside their home school, the parent assumes responsibility for their child's transportation. Transportation for Section 23 Programs or for students attending Provincial or Demonstration Schools is provided by taxi.

Transportation is also provided to:

• secondary students in the Community Living or ACTIVE programs who participate in community/ experiential programming;
• elementary students participating in accelerated programming at a secondary school or
• students attending summer school programs in our board.

Transportation for these types of programs and services is provided by city bus. The board assumes the costs of the student bus fare.

The Parent's role in the provision of specialized transportation

It is the parents' responsibility to:

• Inform the bus/taxi company directly if transportation is not required.
• Inform the school should the transportation no longer be required.
• Request through the school any changes in schedule times or locations, etc.
• Work collaboratively with school staff to provide information required for any documentation required.