LTHS Sophomore, Best Buddies Work To Make Inclusive Space At Homecoming

LOCKPORT, IL — After a tough experience at the TWIRP dance during her freshman year, Lockport Township High School sophomore Mia Cruz decided that this year she would fight to make a more inclusive space at LTHS Homecoming.

Cruz said she is epileptic, and has a seizure disorder that is triggered by things like stress, strobe lights, loud sounds, heat or her blood sugar.

"I'm doing my best to advocate for any student, disabled or not, who struggled with finding their voice and/or the courage to stand up and pave the way for change," Cruz told Patch.

A month before Homecoming this year, Cruz sent an email to the LTHS Board of Education and school administration. In her letter, she wrote that she had "observed numerous problems regarding this school’s dances and I feel like changes need to be implemented."

Cruz told the Board and administrators that she had attended last year's TWIRP dance, and was very excited. However, her mom, Cassi, was hesitant after seeing pictures of last year's Homecoming dance with flashing lights and lasers.

"I begged her to go- I couldn’t stand, and I still can’t, the idea of missing out on a crucial positive high school experience just because of my disability," Cruz said. "My mom then told me something that I take with me in everything I do; 'As long as you advocate for yourself, I will advocate for you.'"

Mia's mother called the school and asked about the lighting, and was told Mia probably wouldn't be able to go. Her mother emailed the school board to detail the situation, describing how it was illegal to deny a student entry into a school-organized social event based on a disability.

Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Angela Huntington said accommodations were made for an alternative space, and "a lot was learned, mainly, it met Mia's medical needs, but it was not really a 'dance environment'."

"When the day came, I was escorted to the gym with my TWIRP date. When we made it to the gym, it was empty, aside from a single chair and speaker," Cruz said. "I felt a sudden wave of embarrassment and disappointment."

Crzu said she felt humiliated about the separate space, and had envisioned decorations, flyers, mood lights and more people.

As her night went on, a few people came inside the gym, although many avoided the unwelcoming space, Cruz said.

"Once more people came inside the gym, I noticed a couple with sensory disorders enter the gym," Cruz said. "They danced and had fun, laughing hard and smiling all the way to their ears. They slow danced together as well. That’s the moment I realized that what I’m doing isn’t just for me, it’s for every single person who needs it. It’s for everyone."

After her experience at the TWIRP dance, Cruz decided to make this year's Homecoming "the most accessible dance humanly possible," she told Patch.

Cruz said she worked on her email to the Board of Education for nearly a month, and also researched the company LTHS hires for its dances, the ADA website, and spoke to other people about their experiences at school dances.

After Cruz sent her email to the Board, Huntington said that the District asked student group Best Buddies to sponsor the sensory-friendly alternative space. Best Buddies is a group that fosters friendships between students with and without disabilities.

"Best Buddies, and their sponsors, Mrs. Bleck and Ms. Bloom jumped right in and started meeting with their Executive Board to start planning for an alternative option for the 2023 Homecoming Dance," Huntington said, adding that Cruz was very active in the planning process.

"It truly was a #PorterPride event, as the alternative space was welcoming and inviting with hundreds of students enjoying this additional homecoming space," Huntington said.

Cruz said when she walked inside the gym at this year's Homecoming dance, she was "happier than ever."

"[The gym] had a raffle, tables and seats and table toppers, a dance floor, the bleachers open for seating, games, refreshments, a selfie station, a balloon arch," Cruz said. "The longer the night went on, the more fun everyone had and the more people that filled the gym. Everyone, disabled or not, enjoyed the sensory friendly space, which served a multitude of different purposes."

"To be the dance for the child that couldn’t handle the strobe lights. To provide a lounge area for those who had anxiety and needed to step out. To those who didn’t have a date, and were comfortable hanging out and socializing with their friends. To those who wanted to dance and not be crammed in between tons of other students. To them, and for so much more, this gym is no longer just a gym. It’s an area for everyone," Cruz said.