The school added my daughter’s wheelchair to the fire drill

Dear Delyara, My daughter uses a wheelchair, and during her first fire drill the class evacuated while she waited upstairs with one teaching assistant because the lift could not be used. The school called this the safest procedure. My daughter called it being left behind. We requested a proper evacuation plan, specialist equipment, and trained staff. The process took nine months, multiple meetings, and a formal complaint after the first proposal still relied on carrying her manually. Today, the school completed its first drill using an evacuation chair, assigned staff, and a route my daughter had practised beforehand. She reached the assembly point with her classmates. When the teacher counted the class, my daughter raised her hand and said, “You didn’t forget anyone this time.” Everyone laughed, but I cried. Inclusion is not allowing a child into a building on ordinary days. It is planning for her life to matter equally when everyone needs to leave quickly.