Teachers and Kids Carried in a ‘Human Elevator’ Amid Disrepair at D.C. Schools

A broken elevator at Cleveland Elementary school in Washington D.C. last school year became a makeshift "human elevator," with staff carrying fellow staff members up and down the stairs to assist an ESL teacher who uses a wheelchair. This improvised solution persisted for weeks until the elevator was repaired, as recounted by Carolyn Diaz, the affected teacher.

Diaz emphasized that a functional elevator is a crucial piece of infrastructure, not a luxury, and that their ability to teach and learn should not hinge on elevator functionality. Elevator malfunctions have emerged as a significant hindrance for students and teachers with disabilities or mobility challenges across D.C. schools, with testimony and interviews revealing unfair and undignified experiences during outages.

Some students missed days of school or failed to receive instructional time while teachers struggled with stairs due to physical limitations. Across 11 schools out of 204 total lifts in DC Public Schools, a dozen elevators or wheelchair lifts were out of service when students returned to class in August, according to the Department of General Services (DGS).

Five schools lacked working elevators but had wheelchair lifts available. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George expressed shock at the testimony, questioning why DGS and DCPS were not more proactive in addressing the issue. DGS Director Delano Hunter stated that the standard should be that 100 percent of elevators function at all times, emphasizing that older elevators require more maintenance and funding.

Evan Lambert, a spokesperson for DCPS, acknowledged the need for greater oversight to ensure appropriate accommodations during outages. The average repair time for an out-of-service elevator at a school is about 36 days, but in some cases, it can take months. Cardozo Education Campus, Columbia Heights Education Campus, Woodson High School, Lafayette Elementary School, and Anacostia High School have experienced persistent elevator issues since 2021, with the latter having its elevator break down four times since the start of the school year.

DJ, a 14-year-old student with cerebral palsy, faced difficulties during recent outages, with staff carrying him up and down steep stairs for over a week.