Davis Beatty
should attend William Fox Elementary -- the school his brother and his neighbors
attend -- a few blocks from his Richmond home. But there are five steps to the
Fan District school's front door. Children must go to the second floor for
assemblies and to the basement for lunch. There's no elevator. And Davis needs a
walker. Federal law says he is supposed to be able to get into school. But
unless someone complains, nobody enforces that law. And when people complain --
even if they win a settlement, as Richmond parents including Davis ' did --
there's no guarantee things will be fixed. Cost is a big deterrent. So Davis , a
12-year-old fourth-grader, goes to John B. Cary Elementary, away from his
brother and friends. Nearly every school in Richmond remains out of compliance
with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, two years after the Richmond
public school system settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit by parents with a
promise to fix the problem.
Richmond Times Dispatch, 1/20/08.