A North Carolina school has faced backlash after administrators reportedly refused to provide a ramp for a disabled girl to cross the stage at her eighth-grade graduation ceremony. Shannon Dingle, 43, spoke out on behalf of her daughter Zoe after Moore Square Magnet Middle School decided to hold the diploma ceremony on the floor instead of the stage.
Accommodation Concerns
Dingle stated that the change differed from previous graduations and that the decision to move proceedings off the stage failed to accommodate Zoe properly. 'That's how they're choosing to accommodate my daughter, who uses a wheelchair full-time,' Dingle wrote on Facebook on Thursday. 'But this approach means they predetermined that Zoe couldn't be a student leader or speaker, and it means that all parents won't see their kids as well.'
She added that the school told her they 'didn't want to bother with getting a ramp,' describing it as 'as if inclusion is a burden rather than a responsibility.' Dingle emphasized that ramps are not 'luxury items' but 'accessibility needs' for disabled individuals like her daughter.
Mother's Advocacy
The concerned mother told local NBC affiliate WRAL that one of her older children graduated last year, and when she recalled the stage was not wheelchair-accessible, she reached out to the school for accommodations. 'I want to make sure that in terms of ADA compliance, we are where we need to be and that all students are able to access the stages and be able to participate fully,' she explained.
Dingle noted that during the ceremony rehearsal, it was clear that other students were prevented from walking on the stage because of her daughter. She expressed a desire for Zoe to have the opportunity to cross the stage and receive her certificate alongside her classmates.
School District Response
Wake County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Taylor told WRAL that he was unaware of the issue but was looking into it. The Daily Mail reached out to the district and Moore Square Magnet Middle School's principal for additional comment.
Background on Dingle
Dingle is a disability rights activist and previously worked for the Little Lobbyist organization. She is a single mother of six children. In 2019, her husband Lee died in a freak accident during a family beach day. According to a blog post, Lee was swimming with their children when a wave knocked him over, causing him to slam his head into the sand. The impact broke his neck and caused his throat to swell, depriving his brain of oxygen. A friend set up a GoFundMe for Dingle and her family as she copes with grief and unemployment.
