Today, more than 35 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, only about a third of New York City public schools are fully accessible. When schools are inaccessible, students often have to travel long distances to receive their education and miss out on opportunities to build formative relationships with students in their own communities. Inaccessible schools also raise employment challenges for educators and staff with physical disabilities while limiting opportunities for relatives and community members with physical disabilities to attend important gatherings like PTA meetings or school plays.

Five years ago, the situation was much worse, with fewer than one in five schools fully accessible, so we are encouraged by the City’s progress with the funding thus far allocated to school accessibility. In the 2025-2029 Capital Plan, that investment stands at $800 million dollars. While we appreciate this funding, it is insufficient, given that NYC Public Schools itself estimated that, at this level of investment, it would take ten five-year capital plans to reach full accessibility. That’s 50 more years of inaccessibility and exclusion. Conversely, $1.5 billion in sustained funding for school accessibility would cut that time in half.

We are asking for your support in amending the Capital Plan to meet this moment by investing at least an additional $450 million in the 2025-2029 Capital Plan for school accessibility projects, bringing the total investment in the current Capital Plan to $1.25 billion. While not everything, with this money, the City could make an estimated 45 percent of NYC public schools fully accessible by the end of the current plan and come that much closer to realizing the unmet promise of the ADA for students, families and communities with disabilities.