A student’s wish to make his school more wheelchair-accessible raised money and awareness for the cause in his community and inspired others across the country.
Archer Hadley, a student at Austin High School who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, knew he had to do something to make his high school more accessible for people with physical disabilities.
Hadley created a wheelchair challenge to raise money for automatic door operators, asking students to pay $20 to challenge each other to spend the day in a wheelchair.
The challenge raised over $87,000, more than half his original goal and enough money to cover the cost of five doors – about $6,000 each.
Many schools today are wheelchair-accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1992 law that requires equal treatment of people with disabilities in public spaces. The act mandates that “physical barriers” for people with disabilities be removed in those spaces. However, Austin High School was built before this act was passed.
Students from the Student Reporting Labs program at Austin High School documented Hadley’s story in a film that was honored at the White House Student Film Festival. The festival selected 15 films from over 1,500 submissions from schools around the country.
Texas governor-elect Greg Abbott, who also uses a wheelchair, said Hadley was an inspiration to others. “Anyone with heart, anyone with determination, anyone with focus on achieving anything can achieve things beyond their wildest dreams,” he said.
Warm up questions
- What does it mean to be physically able?
- What are some challenges faced by students in wheelchairs?
- How often do you walk up the stairs? (Students who use a wheelchair or do not take stairs can answer the question: How often do you use an elevator?)
Critical thinking questions
- How did the student filmmakers capture the challenges that Archer Hadley faces?
- Whose responsibility is it to make sure that all students have access to education? How is that measured?
- Is your school accessible to everyone? How could your school improve its accessibility to students with all types of physical disabilities?
