In an incident exposing shortcomings in the accommodations for disabled students, Lincoln Wood, a 17-year-old at Bandera High School, faced a degrading situation when he had to urinate in a bottle because an accessible restroom was unavailable. Wood's story gained traction after uploading his experience to Facebook, with a photo of the evidence, detailing the longstanding issues at his high school, as reported by KENS 5.
Larry Wood, Lincoln's father, has been fighting for over a decade to improve conditions for students with disabilities within Bandera ISD. He recounted instances where his daughter Lanie, who uses a wheelchair like Lincoln, faced challenges navigating the school facilities. The elder Wood told KENS 5, "For the four years she was [at Bandera High School], we had been asking this needs to be fixed, that needs to be fixed, that needs to be addressed. None of it ever was."
Bandera ISD Superintendent Gary Bitzkie responded to the rising concerns, asserting the district's commitment to accessibility. "Bandera ISD is committed to ensuring that all its facilities can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone in our community, including all students," Bitzkie said in a statement. He directed that any accessibility concerns should be reported to the District’s ADA/504 Coordinator, as reported by KENS 5.
Underpinning these local efforts, federal and state laws mandate accessibility. Public entities, including schools, must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Lucia Romana, Supervising Attorney at Disability Rights Texas, clarified to KENS 5 that Texas Accessibility Standards apply to buildings constructed or modified after January 1, 1970, with state or local funds. Following this, Bandera High School, built in 1978, falls under regulations requiring accessibility in buildings.
The Wood family has filed complaints with the Texas Education Agency and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Allegations of discrimination based on disability, failure to provide necessary educational aids, and unaddressed harassment are under investigation. "We're here for Lincoln and we're here for every other child that's gonna come through this school district and not have to put up with what they've had to put up with," Larry Wood told KENS 5. Whether these allegations will lead to tangible improvements within the district remains to be seen as the Office for Civil Rights continues its probe into these issues.
