Injuries at Camas High School are not uncommon, but when they occur and limit a student’s mobility then accommodations are made. The first step involves informing Nurse Joan Haugaard to “determine what are the needs” and “what are the options.” Most teachers will be accommodating to the mobility issues, but if it is necessary, a 504 plan will be filled out.

Crutches and wheelchairs are available to be loaned out, however, the much-used knee scooter is unavailable. A donation of a knee scooter to Haugaard would be much appreciated. Crutches have their own issues in general. Backpacks weigh the student down, and if the student’s balance is knocked off then they can easily fall down.That will not only provide possible injuries and embarrassment but also hinder a bustling hallway during a passing period. Haugaard suggests a “double set of books” to negate the issue of backpacks. If another set of books cannot be acquired by the library or a backpack is necessary, then using a rolling backpack or requesting someone else to carry their bags will be helpful. Another issue is not limited to crutches, but also to the people who are on wheels. The exhausting time it takes to relocate from one side of the school to another may require respites. Along with stopping in places out of the way, using elevators to effortlessly navigate from one story to another is also a pleasant break.

Unless the elevator is directly affected by a fire, the elevators will still work in case of emergency. In an emergency situation, the main stairwells at CHS mark the location of the fire safe zone. People with mobility issues only have to get to this location to be doused with water and wait for emergency services to arrive. In this location, there is an evac blanket in each of the cabinets at the top of the main stairwell. Haugaard describes the blankets as a “big tarp with multiple handles” and people must “grab your team of four to five people” to move a person out of the building. Reaching out and helping a fellow student to the main stairwells at CHS can help protect a fellow student in an emergency situation.

At Camas High School, multiple options to help students with mobility issues are available when the student asks. Classroom accommodations are simple switches to the everyday life at the school, and they can save students from lots of inconveniences and pain.