School Letter Sample: Advocating for Accessibility Changes in an Older School
Call me the dwarfism and disability rights crusader for my son’s school. First, there was a call to action against a charter school placed on our campus. Then, there was a call to action for air conditioning to be placed in our area schools. Often, PTAs will send out template letters for parents to send to the school board. Instead of just copying and sending the template letter, I like to use that letter as a big red flag to say: I’m a parent of a child with dwarfism! Here is your Dwarfism Awareness educational moment!
This is the letter I wrote to the school board members to demonstrate the effects of not having air conditioning at our schools. The name of the school proposition has been changed:
[ Your Name ] · [ Your Address ] · [ Date ]
Dear Board Members:
As a mother of a child with dwarfism, I urge you to vote “yes” to approve the vice president’s motion to allocate $9 million in Prop ABC funding for air conditioning at all hot “Climate Zone A” schools. Air conditioning is a necessity to ensure the health and safety of all children who suffer serious health-related problems from overheated classrooms. Those children are often those with disabilities who have sensory processing issues, developmental delays, and chronic health issues.
As stated from Pamela Wilson, an online Special Needs news editor:
I cannot speak for other types of disabilities. However, as a parent with dwarfism of a child with dwarfism, I can definitely say that heat affects us greatly. Hyperthermia (overheating) is common with many types of dwarfism including achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism, which is what my son and I have. While a person without dwarfism can feel comfortable on a typical sunny day, a child with dwarfism can be sweating profusely, feeling dehydrated and tired. Add a classroom without air conditioning on a hot spring or summer day (for those with year-round school), and the heat makes it very difficult to concentrate and becomes a health hazard. Lack of air conditioning should not be a factor for my child’s academic success. Nor should air conditioning be a privilege for some schools and a right in others. We should take into consideration the health and needs of our students.
The money from the Prop ABC funding should come from the Building Systems Repair allocation. That’s only a fraction of millions budgeted. Clearly, passing this motion to allocate for air conditioning will help everyone. The students can concentrate on their studies and the teachers can concentrate on teaching, rather than thinking of creative ways to keep their students cool and attentive.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[ Your Name ]
Parent of a child with achondroplasia
Why Heat Affects Children with Achondroplasia
We receive questions from parents and researchers asking for clinical documentation on heat sensitivity in achondroplasia. Here is what is currently understood:
- Body surface area to volume ratio: Children with achondroplasia have a proportionally smaller body surface area relative to their body mass than average-height children. This reduces the body’s ability to dissipate heat efficiently through the skin, making overheating more likely in warm environments.
- Midface hypoplasia and airway anatomy: The characteristic midface structure of achondroplasia can narrow the nasal and upper airway passages, reducing the cooling effect of breathing in warm air. Combined with the body surface area issue, this makes thermoregulation more challenging.
- Spinal stenosis and physical exertion: Children with achondroplasia often have some degree of spinal stenosis which can be aggravated by physical exertion in heat, leading to fatigue more quickly than average-height peers.
- Anecdotal community evidence: Within the LP community, heat sensitivity is widely reported across achondroplasia and other skeletal dysplasias. While large-scale peer-reviewed studies specifically on thermoregulation in achondroplasia remain limited, the physiological basis is well understood by skeletal dysplasia specialists.
Tips for Using This Letter
Replace “Prop ABC,” the dollar amounts, and “Climate Zone A” with your district’s specific proposition, budget figures, and climate zone designations. Your district’s PTA template letter will have these details.
A one-page letter from your child’s pediatrician, geneticist, or orthopedist confirming heat sensitivity as a medical concern carries significant weight with school boards. Ask your specialist to reference achondroplasia specifically.
LP families are rarely the only families with medically vulnerable children in a school. Connect with parents of children with other heat-sensitive conditions — asthma, MS, multiple sclerosis — and submit letters collectively. Numbers matter to school boards.
Submit your letter before the scheduled board vote, not after. Find out when the relevant agenda item is scheduled and submit at least one week in advance. Request to speak during public comment if your district allows it.
Have you written a letter to your school board on behalf of your LP child? Did it work? Share your experience in the comments — your story could give another parent the confidence to speak up.