Parents of disabled students are raising concerns about accessibility at some South Orange-Maplewood schools, especially the South Orange Middle School auditorium, citing both property conditions and a lack of appropriate accommodations.
Melanie Newell’s oldest daughter is a rising 5th grader at Marshall, and her younger daughter, who is cognitively and physically disabled, is out of district but attends events for her sister in the South Orange-Maplewood School District.
Newell says that she was previously told to “just sit in the back” at South Orange Middle School (SOMS) when she asked where her daughter, who uses a wheelchair, should sit during an event there.
“I definitely did not feel great,” Newell told the Village Green. “This was a couple years ago, but still seemed pretty egregious to me that the answer to a lack of accessible seating was essentially ‘too bad.’ The experience flustered me so much, and upset my older daughter, that we ended up leaving the performance during intermission.”
So before this spring’s Marshall School concert at SOMS, she contacted the teacher and was informed there is still no designated wheelchair seating available.
Newell said her daughter was positioned at SOMS along the side of the auditorium with only about 12 inches of space between her wheelchair and the wall, creating discomfort for her family and making it difficult for other attendees to pass by safely.
“I know from our last time attending a show at SOMS that sitting on the side can create a bottleneck and likely fire hazard, but that seems to be the only option currently available. I also know we are hardly the only family in the district to face this issue,” Newell said.
Newell also said she often has to contact event organizers in advance to ensure her daughter will have access and appropriate seating. Because accommodations are not always guaranteed, she said, her family frequently has to split up for school events, with one parent attending alongside their older child while the other stays home with their younger daughter.
“We have to weigh whether or not there will be barriers to attendance and access whenever we attend a school or district event,” she said.
When Village Green reached out to Superintendent of Schools Jason Bing about the district’s awareness of accessibility concerns related to the SOMS auditorium and other school facilities, he responded in an email with “yes, all of these buildings were built well before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law on July 26, 1990. Many accessibility requirements have been implemented across the district, especially for parking and access to buildings, elevators, and chair lifts.”
About the SOMS auditorium specifically, he said: “So while the auditorium at SOMS is not specifically ADA-compliant, working with the building administrators, accessibility options can be incorporated up front, in the back of the auditorium, to support those with disabilities.”
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average school building in the United States is 49 years old, predating ADA, including the South Orange and Maplewood School District. After the ADA was implemented, the ADA mandated that public schools (including traditional public schools and charter schools) offer physical accommodations for students, staff and visitors with disabilities.
Newell also raised concerns about accessibility within the district’s Special Services office, located at Montrose School. She said that during her daughter’s school placement evaluation process, her family was required to attend multiple meetings in an office that could not accommodate her daughter’s wheelchair, creating barriers during an important stage of her education planning.
Another parent, who requested anonymity, pointed to how many uneven sidewalks caused her child’s wheelchair wheel to break off. The family was unable to reattach the wheel and ultimately had to carry the child and replace the wheelchair.
“This isn’t just a wheelchair issue. The sidewalks can be challenging for anyone walking, pushing a stroller, using a walker, or dealing with mobility limitations. Improving sidewalk infrastructure would make a meaningful difference in accessibility and safety for many people in our community,” she said.
When asked if there are any district-wide plans to improve accessibility within school buildings, especially in auditoriums and performance spaces, Bing said, “There are currently plans in the LFRP [Long-Range Facilities Plan] to address ADA accessibility in various areas (one area we are trying to approve is the Marshall playground). Please keep in mind that the ADA is a law that requires a lot of time, resources, and costs for specialized equipment and alterations or modifications.”
For Newell, the lack of accessibility in some places in the District in 2026 “is egregious and unacceptable.”
“Especially for a place like SOMA that takes so much pride in our diversity—which, as you know, includes celebrating and supporting diverse abilities,” said Newell.
“We are looking forward to our older daughter participating in all sorts of activities as she continues her journey through the SOMSD schools. We are also looking forward to feeling welcomed as a family and as members of the community when we attend these activities.”
The school district acknowledged that communication could be improved.
“To strengthen compliance efforts, the district will take a more proactive approach to communicating available options to families and will integrate ADA compliance work into all future construction projects,” Bing said.
Additionally, he said, “While there may be isolated incidents for certain events, the district is more than willing to help make comfortable accommodations for everyone.”
For Newell, acknowledgement that diverse abilities are also part of the framework of diversity is important and necessary.
“Leaders ask how events and buildings can be made more inclusive and accessible,” she said. “And on a baseline level—that means ensuring that all of the theater spaces within the SOMSD school buildings have accessible handicapped seating.”
Celia Mann is an 11th grade student at Columbia High School who is working as a paid freelancer with Village Green through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
