Work continues in the Portage la Prairie School Division (PLPSD) to increase accessibility to its various facilities.

PLPSD administration toured La Verendrye School and North Memorial School to observe accessibility standards and challenges, as part of ongoing review of the Division's buildings, Superintendent Todd Cuddington told the Board of Trustees at its April 13 meeting.

"It was really an opportunity to take some pictures, talk to the leaders at those schools and then point out some areas that might be problematic," Supt. Cuddington says.

Cuddington says a top priority in PLPSD facilities is accessibility beginning right from the front door. North Memorial had new doors installed last year that reduce accessibility barriers, and La Verendrye School, Ecole Crescentview School and Ecole Arthur Meighen School are all due to have accessible doors installed this year.

The Division's board office building is currently not an accessible building, Cuddington explains.

"It's something we have to take into account but the challenge is it's also over 100-years-old," he says. "So retro-fitting structures like this is sometimes very costly."

The Accessibility for Manitoba Act came into place in 2013, requiring public organizations such as PLPSD to establish and publish an accessibility plan. The Division's plan commits to ensuring equitable access and participation for all people. It promotes a message of inclusion through identifying, removing and preventing accessibility barriers, while considering staff and financial resources.

"(That's) the challenge with this ... the dollars," Cuddington adds. "It's been legislated, but the funding is not always there to support it. It does come at a cost for the Division, putting in lifts, ramps, elevators and automatic doors. Those are big ticket items. So we have to be cautious how we prioritize those things so the funding is available to make it happen."