National AccessAbility Week Spotlight – Naismith Memorial Public School Step ‘n Wash Project

The Grade 6 class at Naismith Memorial Public School is enhancing accessibility in Mississippi Mills through their recent Step ‘n Wash accessibility project.

Students read the book ‘Break the Mold,’ by Sinead Burke, about children with achondroplasia or ‘little people,’ inspired by conversations with Naismith office administrator, Nicole Koscielski, who lives with achondroplasia. Motivated, they decided to take on a Real-World Learning Project, assisted by teacher Joe Chalmers, focused on improving accessibility for all.

Often, young kids and little people can’t comfortably reach faucets in public washrooms, but equipment like the Step ‘n Wash can change that. It’s a self-retracting step that is installed under a sink counter in public washrooms. Users push it down with their foot and a step appears so they can stand high enough to wash their hands.

The class began fundraising last year to purchase a Step ‘n Wash and made a presentation about their project to the Mississippi Mills Accessibility Advisory Committee in December 2024.

Raising more than $1,800 to bring two Step ‘n Wash units to Naismith, the president of the company was so impressed by the students’ efforts and donated two units, which were installed in the public washrooms at the John Levi Community Centre in Almonte.

Alongside members of municipal staff and the AAC committee, the Step ‘n Wash units were unveiled on April 29. The class also presented a third unit (donated by Step ‘n Wash) to the Municipality, which will be installed at the Mississippi Mills Public Library.

Read more about the project: Naismith Students Champion Accessibility in Mississippi Mills

Future goals for the class is to have more Step ‘n Wash units installed at community centres, the Gemmill Park splash pad, Almonte Old Town Hall and other public facilities.