West Chester is one of the few school districts in the nation that includes children with disabilities in its emergency planning, writes Meghan Holohan for Today.

The district ensures that children with disabilities have plenty of accommodations for school lockdowns in case of emergencies.

“My school district is doing it right,” said Lisa Kinsey, whose daughter Sarah has multiple disabilities. “Students with special needs are treated no less than other students.”

When she first came to school, Sarah was scheduled to be in a second-floor room. However, the district soon realized this would create an obstacle in the case of an evacuation. So to avoid this, they moved Sarah and other students with disabilities to a first-floor room closer to an exit.

The move was a huge relief for Kinsey. Her daughter has ataxia and ADHD, among other disabilities, and while she can follow directions, she sometimes becomes overwhelmed with anxiety. The ataxia also causes low muscle tone, which can make something like running very challenging for her.

“She falls a lot,” said Kinsey. “Stairs are very hard for her.”

Read more about the issue at Today here.

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