Access Denied: Improving Public Accessibility in Montgomery County and MCPS

August 2, 2024 – By Sophia Campbell

Picture this: you’re a student at a public high school. You’ve just endured a leg injury that has rendered you temporarily crutch-bound, and, inquisitive of your school’s accommodations for your circumstances, you consult the office staff. They inform you that there exists a singular elevator across the three-story, thirty-acre campus. And, ironically, the only way to access it is by taking the stairs.

This was my experience in April of 2024 after I underwent two surgeries on my right foot. I spent the following fortnight of school days hopping up and down staircases on my uninjured leg. The arduous routine left me breathless, exhausted, and queasy from one-too-many near-nosedives down an unforgiving flight of stairs. My circumstances were merely temporary, but I began to ponder the struggles of those with permanent ambulatory disabilities—in school, in public facilities, and throughout their lives within Montgomery County. 

Accessibility in Public Schools

Around 40,000 people in MoCo have ambulatory disabilities, many of whom are under the age of 18. For young students with disabilities, accessibility in schools is an absolute necessity—and one that isn’t always granted. As expressed on the MCPS website, the county pledges to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires “that local governments and public agencies … must evaluate their services, programs, policies and practices and identify barriers, which may limit accessibility for individuals with disabilities and develop transition plans describing how they will address identified barriers.” Hundreds of MCPS schools were assessed on how well they met these guidelines, and one high school was labeled as “overall minor work required to meet standards”—the highest classification listed—in spite of having 209 identified barriers to accessibility that conflicted with the ADA. Considering that this school was identified as among the most accessible institutions in the school district, one can only imagine the condition of schools further down the list.

The loophole that allows many MCPS schools to evade repercussions for such inaccessibility is that most were established prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a result, they are held to a lesser standard and are not expected to drastically update existing facilities. The difficulty and costliness of extensively renovating establishments is understandable. However, educational inaccessibility contributes to the struggles disabled individuals face as they navigate daily life in Montgomery County, and a solution is desperately needed. 

Accessibility in Public Parks

Schools aren’t the only facilities in MoCo to lack accessibility. Various public parks and playgrounds advertised as “accessible” possess characteristics that exclude the participation of disabled folk. One parent of a child with a gross motor delay states that “there are playgrounds that MoCo claims are accessible with ramps, but none of the playground pieces are accessible themselves… It’d be great if they made a playground designed for kids in wheelchairs and higher sensory needs.” 

Indeed, there are various types of inclusive playground equipment on the market, such as wheelchair-accessible swing sets and roundabouts. Local public parks are largely devoid of this kind of equipment. The county does, however, offer other accessible forms of recreation, including ice-skating aids for those in wheelchairs and adapted tennis equipment, to name a few. These programs are steps in the right direction, and action should be extended to MoCo public parks in order to expand recreational opportunities for everyone.

Accessibility in Transportation

For many citizens with disabilities, simply traveling from one location to another can be a monumental challenge. Though the county does provide various aids in transportation, some gaps in accessibility continue to exist. One parent of a disabled child criticizes the frequency of able-bodied individuals occupying handicap parking spaces, a thoughtless act that poses challenges for those who truly need the accessible spots. “It would be a huge help if the police would… ticket people who park in handicap spots,” the parent states. In Maryland, the fine for illegally occupying a handicap spot ranges between $250 and $350 for a first-time offense.

Kathleen Kleinmann, a wheelchair user and the chairperson of the City of Rockville Transportation and Mobility Commission, emphasizes the shortcomings of sidewalks in MoCo. “[The sidewalks] are built for water drainage, they are built for cars, but… they have not been built for pedestrians,” she says. “There should be a flat area for the public to walk on to get past that driveway. Those driveway aprons are keeping disabled people off the sidewalks.” 

These deficiencies have serious consequences. Kleinmann goes on to state, “Recently, I was told a pedestrian this year who was in a wheelchair was going through a parking lot… and a car backing out of the lot backed into the wheelchair and the person in the wheelchair was cited for causing the accident.” If there had been adequate accessible sidewalk for the individual to use, such an accident would never have occurred in the first place.

Good news—the county is taking steps to make transportation more accessible for disabled residents. The MoCo Department of Transportation plans to “[implement] more tactile graphics in planning for projects” in addition to “new training programs to educate staff on design strategies for improving our transportation network for people with vision disabilities.” These advancements demonstrate MoCo’s commitment to equity and inclusivity and will significantly improve the daily lives of disabled individuals.

Next Steps

Though gaps in accessibility are present throughout Montgomery County, leaders are taking fundamental steps to address such gaps and improve inclusivity for all. It is vital that attention is drawn to this topic in order to identify areas where accessibility may be lacking. Given enough time, diligent action will ensure that the community is an inclusive space for all residents, no matter their level of ability.

You can contact the Montgomery County Council, The City of Rockville, MCPS or other entities to push for better accessibility on their properties in general or with specific issues you encounter or observe.

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