School District No. 35

When it comes to accessibility, it takes a collective effort to determine barriers and remove them for students in Langley Schools. From the moment a child is dropped off in the parking lot before the morning bell, while they are playing on the playground at recess, or when they need a break in a sensory room to self-regulate, there is a team of staff behind the scenes working to create spaces that are safe, accessible, and positive. 

As part of the annual National AccessAbility Week, the Langley School District is exploring how staff from Learning Support Services, Facilities and Maintenance, and schools work together to ensure both accessibility and equitable experiences for students in our schools.

Paving, parking, and pathways are just some of the accessible site-improvement projects underway at schools in the District. These projects aim to support all students, especially those who are in wheelchairs. At Noel Booth Elementary, five mobility parking stalls and new paving is in the works. It’s a legacy project that will help support students now and in the future.

“In the mornings, it's always going to be incredibly hectic and when you add a variable in like mobility, it makes it that much more challenging,” said Jason Malo, principal of Noel Booth Elementary. “When we have drop off, what we want to make sure is, we want to ensure that all the kids are safe in the process and that the parents feel good when they're dropping their children off and they don't have to worry.”

It’s not just dedicated parking spots that are needed for a student to safely get from their vehicle to class. Students need to be able to have access to, and through, the front door of their school with ease.

Devin Roos, mechanical manager, says that smooth paving, constructing ramps or let downs, and installing automatic doors helps accomplish that.

“We've done a lot of work to make sure every front entryway has an automatic door-opener button with wide enough doorways that you know, anyone can get through,” he said.

“This project that we're doing here at Noel Booth Elementary had nothing to do with accessibility to begin with. It was a completely different project, but we saw that there were accessibility challenges, so we use it as an opportunity to address those,” Roos added.

Accessibility is also top of mind for staff when it comes to building new playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces across the District.

Linda Pollastretti, Director of Learning Support Services, says in order for a playground to be accessible, you need to consider how one would get onto the playground, the surface of the playground itself, and the equipment. Ramps, wood chips, or rubberized surfaces support accessibility. 

“A merry-go-round that you can drive onto if you're in a wheelchair, or a bucket swing that you can transfer to and swing with your peers so that you're in with them as they're navigating the playground itself, or you might have some sensory elements, so twist toys, mobile things that go up and down that make sound,” said Pollastretti, listing off accessible playground features.

The work of finding the right playground vendor and design involves staff from the school, Learning Support Services, and Facilities and Maintenance.

“We're a part of a bigger picture of collaboration and our part is to help them determine what pieces we can use for accessibility and making sure that you make the right decisions,” said Mel Cervantes, Senior Manager of Facilities.

North Otter Elementary is one of a few schools in the District that recently opened a new playground. Principal Dan Woelders says accessibility was the focus of their build.

“I think over the years we have built playgrounds with a particular model in place, without considering all of our students, and more recently I think we've really geared and been more intentional about creating spaces where everyone can belong,” said Woelders.

Inside the school, accessibility is being prioritized with the creation of sensory rooms, which are rooms for students to access, helping them manage their emotions so that they can get back in the classroom to learn. 

Occupational Therapists help identify and remove barriers for students who may need support when they are dysregulated and sensory rooms are one solution. 

There are two types of rooms according to District Occupational Therapist Ross Taylor.

“One of them is a self-regulation sensory motor room. It's more for active activities.

So, the more physical types of activities, movement, jumping, balance, swinging, those sorts of things,” he said.

“And we also try to have a quiet space, more of a calm down type of room or ‘Zen Den’ room in schools as well,” he added. 

Taylor admitted that OTs come with the ideas, but they rely on Facilities and Maintenance staff for their expertise.

“It's really important for us to collaborate throughout the whole process,” said Chris Natic, Building Trades Manager. 

“Learning Support’s team knows the goals of the students and the complex needs. The school is more familiar with the day-to-day operations and how the room's going to be used effectively, and Facilities brings the technical expertise to kind of make these goals a reality,” he explained. “It's really rewarding to help out with these students and also support the staff who work with them.”

To learn more about the collaborative efforts in making schools accessible, you can read the District’s Accessibility Plan 2026-2029 here.