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School remains without elevator - austerity measures at the expense of the disabled?

2021-08-29T18:06:48.036Z


An elevator should improve the accessibility in the Dietramszell elementary and middle school. However, the installation was canceled for cost reasons.


An elevator should improve the accessibility in the Dietramszell elementary and middle school.

However, the installation was canceled for cost reasons.

Dietramszell - Public buildings must be barrier-free. This has been stipulated by the UN Disability Rights Convention in Germany since 2009. That is why the local council decided eight years ago that the Dietramszeller elementary and middle school should get an elevator as part of the necessary general renovation. The district office issued the building permit for this in 2017. After various delays, the elevator should finally be installed in the C-building in 2021. However, in their March meeting, the majority of the municipal councils in the non-public part were in favor of not pursuing this plan. The reason: the tight budget situation.

There is currently no need for an elevator because no disabled child has been born in the community for years.

Ex-councilor Waltraud Bauhof considers this way of thinking to be short-sighted.

“Who can say that a disabled person won't be attending school soon?” She asks.

Several times in the past there have been short-term impairments for students and teachers for whom a lift would have been very helpful.

Ex-councilor: "We are talking about 62.00 euros here"

From the beginning, Bauhof had campaigned for the elevator and worked out the strategically most favorable location on the C-Building with the school management and the building authority.

"We are talking about around 62,500 euros, which would cost the community in the long term to give young people with physical disabilities the opportunity to attend a general school," she explains.

Compared to other positions - such as for the new Schützenheim - that is not much.

In a letter she therefore appealed to the local council to reconsider her decision.

She received support from the district's disability officer, Ralph Seifert.

He also formulated his concerns about the decision in a letter to the community.

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Ex-councilor Waltraut Bauhof

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Second Mayor Anton Huber defends the austerity measure.

His main argument: “The elevator could only reach five more classrooms and three function rooms without barriers.” Three classrooms, an after-school care room and a disabled toilet without steps are already accessible in the C-Building, plus three further classrooms and a workroom in A and B building.

The same applies to the auditorium, gymnasium and library.

According to a current rough cost estimate, the installation of the lift would result in a contribution of at least 92,720 euros to the community, plus follow-up costs of around 2000 euros per year for maintenance.

Vice-Mayor: "I don't know whether the effort is in relation to the benefit."

"An elevator would be nice," Huber admits, "but I don't know whether the effort is in relation to the benefit." He promises: "When the situation arises, we will do everything we can to fully integrate a disabled child." This has already worked well in the past with the support of teachers and students. He suggests installing stair lifts if necessary to make the IT and other specialist rooms accessible by wheelchair. "That can be done within six weeks, and they are even available for rent."

Ralph Seifert thinks little of this idea. "Stairlifts are very fragile and usually do not have a long lifespan, especially in public facilities," he explains in an interview with our editorial team. For the disabled person's officer, installing a lift as part of the renovation work on the C-building would be the ideal solution. But he is pragmatic: “What should you do if the money isn't there? We can't force anyone. ”He predicts that the problem of accessibility for the community will fall on its feet at the latest when appropriate regulations come from the EU.

Due to Seifert's and Bauhof's renewed appeal, the municipal council will deal with the topic again in the next meeting under the agenda item “Other”.

In any case, Huber intends to apply for the extension of the building permit for the elevator in good time.

If the council still agrees, construction can begin without delay.

cw

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-08-29

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