ECS Middle School Student Leads Charge For Local Accessibility

Elkhart Community Schools students aren’t just achieving excellence in the classroom: they’re having a real impact on their community.

Earlier this year, Willow Townsend, a blind student at West Side Middle School reached out to the Elkhart mayor’s office. She saw a need for increased accessibility at the intersection of North Main and Beardsley. Working with ECS teacher for the visually impaired Julene Fitch, she identified changes to make that crossing safer. One was to install an Accessible Pedestrian Signal, which gives audible signals on when it’s safe to walk. Another was to add truncated domes, which provide tangible hazard warning cues to the visually impaired.

After evaluating her proposal, the city decided to install both of those accessibility measures. Willow was on-hand for the dedication and ribbon-cutting earlier this week.

We are immensely proud of Willow! We would also like to thank the city of Elkhart and our ECS staff for showing our students that they can make a difference in their community.