Calgary High School Student Confined to Main Floor as Elevator Remains Broken for Months
A Calgary family is raising urgent concerns about persistent accessibility barriers at their son's high school, where a malfunctioning elevator has severely limited the teenager's educational experience for several months. The situation has resulted in academic setbacks and social isolation for the student, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility.
Chronic Accessibility Issues at Modern School Facility
Aydin Ali, a Grade 11 student at Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School in the Seton community, has been unable to access classrooms on the upper floors of the three-storey building since November. The school, which opened in 2018, has experienced recurring elevator problems throughout the academic year, with the lift becoming completely inoperative for extended periods.
"The first three weeks of September, it was great, and then it worked for about two weeks in November, and that's it for pretty much the entire year," explained Irfan Ali, Aydin's father. "We've been in constant contact with the principal and vice principals there ... but unfortunately, they just said, 'Well, there's nothing we can do.' They just haven't been able to get it working."
Student's Medical Background and Mobility Challenges
Aydin was born with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer affecting nerve cells. Before reaching his first birthday, he underwent numerous medical procedures including radiation and chemotherapy to address a tumor. These treatments resulted in reduced sensation—approximately 40 percent from the waist down—that significantly impacts his mobility.
While he uses ankle-foot orthotics for shorter distances, Aydin typically requires a wheelchair for longer movements. Recently, he has depended more heavily on the wheelchair due to developing chronic pain in his feet, making elevator access essential for navigating the multi-level school building.
Educational Accommodations and Their Limitations
With the elevator out of service, school administrators have implemented alternative arrangements for Aydin's education:
- He has been assigned to a small room on the main floor where he works independently
- Several of his courses have been transitioned to fully online formats
- He accesses educational materials digitally while separated from classmates
However, these accommodations have proven inadequate for maintaining Aydin's academic performance and social well-being. "He's not able to socialize with his friends. He's not able to get the one-on-one time with the teacher, and his marks started to suffer as a result of that," Irfan Ali reported.
Academic and Social Consequences of Isolation
The educational adjustments have created significant challenges for the typically high-achieving student. "He's a bright kid. He's always had really good marks, but now we're seeing that some of them are starting to drop, just because he's not getting the same level of attention that some of the other kids get," his father noted.
Aydin himself acknowledged the difficulties of the modified learning environment: "Stuff like English or math, I think, would be easier with a teacher. The school has done a good job of setting me up with stuff, it's just that I can't learn the same as everyone else."
Beyond academic concerns, the isolation has taken a toll on Aydin's social development during what his father describes as particularly formative years. "I don't think it's healthy, socially or mentally, for a child to be isolated in that way," Irfan Ali emphasized. "Those are kind of your awkward years, and Aydin already stands out a little bit because of his disability. On top of that, you're basically limiting his access to other students and to teachers."
Broader Implications for School Accessibility
This situation highlights ongoing challenges in ensuring equitable access to education for students with mobility limitations. The extended elevator outage at a relatively new school facility raises questions about:
- Maintenance protocols for essential accessibility equipment
- Contingency planning for when accessibility features fail
- The adequacy of temporary accommodations for students with disabilities
- Communication between school administration and affected families
The Ali family continues to seek a permanent solution that would allow Aydin to fully participate in the high school experience alongside his peers, emphasizing that temporary measures cannot substitute for proper accessibility infrastructure in educational settings.
