Students rally to help disabled student experience graduation like classmates

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Fulton County high school seniors rallied together after learning some disappointing news about graduation.

In an email to students and parents, the principal at Northview High School outlined reasons why they would not have a stage at this year’s graduation.  One of those reasons was the cost to make the stage accessible to all students.

“There is a student that can’t walk and we want to accommodate, so we could not afford a ramp for the stage, so we are not going to have one at all,” is what Northview High School student Tawil Charaniya said the principal told him.

Students said they were disappointed by the news, not only because they would not be able to walk across the stage, but because one of their classmates would not be able to share the experience with them.

“Everyone started to realize, hey this is important we should do something so that in the future everyone sort of has access to the stage,” said senior Rohan Mpnon.

“Don’t exclude that person, but rather accommodate in a more productive way, more constructive way for everyone,” said Charaniya.

Tawil Charaniya took his classmates concerns to the principal and their class quickly came together to come up with a solution, from researching rental stages with a ramp to their engineering students coming up with ways to construct a stage.

 “Our class always come (together) when we really need them the most,” said senior class president, Pavan Bharadwaj.  “Every time they do, it’s beautiful and I know when they want something they will do something to get it done.”

Within a few days, the students were able to find an accessible stage to rent for $5,300, money that came out of their senior class funds.

“We figured we have given so much just to school and our academic career ,we want that moment to feel as special as we always dreamed it would be,” said Charaniya.

Students said they are happy to know that everyone in their class will be able to hear their name, cross that stage and receive their diploma.