Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and GuidelinesH. Appendices H.1 Accessible School Facilities Planning School boards are responsible for providing facilities that allow equality of access to educational programs for students with special educational needs, and should use their annual capital allowance of the block for small renovation projects to make schools accessible. A practical and student-centred approach is to address the facility's needs when new construction or renovations are planned and approved, and to complete those changes to existing buildings that are possible and reasonable as students' needs are identified. This is a long-term planning process that should, wherever possible, anticipate student arrivals and any exceptional facility needs. The ability of students with special educational needs to access school facilities affects the inclusion of these students in the overall school environment. Planning for those with special needs should ensure that they have access to the school facilities and all aspects of the school program. This access should be as seamless as possible; that is, there should not be an obvious distinction that some feature is only for students with disabilities. When new construction or renovations to existing spaces are approved, facilities that will meet the requirements of students with special needs should be included in the planning. It is far less costly to design accessibility features at the outset, ensuring that they or an infrastructure are in place, than to retrofit at a later date. For up to date information and details about Planning refer to the Ministry’s web pages for “Area Standards”.
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