‘I think it made a difference’: School fixes elevator after student in wheelchair voices her concerns

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB/Gray News) – After sharing her struggle with a broken elevator at a Louisiana high school, 17-year-old junior Naomi Jones said life at school has completely changed for her after it was finally fixed.

Jones has brittle bone disease and has to rely on getting around in a wheelchair. She spent the start of the year isolated on the first floor of Alexandria High after the school’s only elevator broke, and was forced to do assignments alone in an art classroom.

“It was boring. I couldn’t really do anything,” she said. “When I was downstairs, I had textbooks and a computer, and I had to look at my assignments on the computer, and I would be confused because it doesn’t have enough explanation on the assignments.”

Her isolation ended after her story aired on KALB. Within three weeks, the broken elevator was fixed.

“Right when the news report came out, it felt like everything was being rushed,” she said. “It was like, ‘We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that, so that everything can get fixed, and she can go upstairs,’ and all that. So, it was kind of like that after the news report came out.”

Jones is now back in class, reconnecting with teachers and friends.

“The thing that has changed was … going to my classes and seeing all my classmates and everything. It’s been really fun being in class,” Jones said.

Jones said the difference is clear.

“It’s really useful because I get the explanations of the work, and I can do it, like do my work with the explanations from the teachers. It’s easy,” Jones said.

She said she still has to catch up on all the learning she missed.

“I’m a little behind, but I’m getting closer to catching up,” she said.

Jones still believes speaking out made a difference and hopes other students will find the courage to do the same.

“I think it made a difference. A really big difference. Because now people know that I can make a change in something if I want it to be changed,” Jones said. “I hope they know that they can speak up about their problems and everything.”

The Rapides Parish School Board previously said it was aware the elevator was out of service and was working with administrators to ensure students maintained access to their educational programs during the disruption.