A new research study from Corgan is expanding the conversation around inclusive school design by focusing on a group often overlooked in accessibility planning: teachers and other educators with disabilities.

The Dallas-based architecture and design firm has released anASID Foundation-funded study titled, “Rethinking Schools for Teachers with Disabilities,” examining how school environments can better support educators with disabilities, chronic illnesses, sensory sensitivities, mobility challenges, and other physical or cognitive conditions. The research also includes an open-source design guidebook with practical strategies for architects, designers, administrators, and district leaders.

The study builds on a 2022 national survey that found 12% of K-12 teachers reported having a mental or physical condition that negatively affected their experience in the built environment. The ASID Foundation research summary notes that although these educators represent a significant portion of the workforce, their needs are rarely considered explicitly in school design.

Why Educator Accessibility Matters

School design has made meaningful progress in supporting students with diverse needs, but Corgan’s research argues that inclusive design should also account for the adults who spend their working days in classrooms, corridors, offices, restrooms, labs, and shared school spaces.

Many disabilities or health conditions are not visible. They may show up as fatigue, sensory overload, mobility limitations, cognitive strain, chronic pain, or difficulty completing routine tasks in environments primarily designed around children’s dimensions, schedules, and movement patterns.

The research frames this as both an accessibility and retention issue. The report notes that teachers working with injury, chronic illness, sensory sensitivity, pregnancy, or other conditions can experience added strain in school environments, which may worsen broader challenges related to teacher stress and retention.

How the Research Was Conducted

The study was led by Corgan’s Education team and Corgan—Hugo, the firm’s in-house research and innovation group. Researchers used a mixed-methods approach that included literature review, outreach to educators, on-site simulation, physiological measurement, self-reported feedback, researcher observation, user personas, journey mapping, and design implementation workshops.

The outreach phase included 77 in-depth surveys and 41 interviews with educators with disabilities. The on-site simulation phase involved 30 participants across seven condition groups representing visible, invisible, chronic, and temporary disabilities or limitations, including arthritis, sensory impairments, and pregnancy.

Researchers used a gerontological, or GERT, suit and other simulation tools to help participants experience limitations associated with aging, temporary injury, pregnancy, sensory sensitivity, arthritis, diabetes, and other conditions. The goal was to connect lived educator experience with measurable data and translate those findings into design strategies.

Everyday Teaching Tasks Became More Difficult

One of the report’s clearest findings is that health-related limitations can make ordinary teaching tasks more mentally and emotionally demanding.

Using the NASA Task Load Index and Single Ease Question measures, researchers found that perceived mental effort increased during simulations, task difficulty ratings nearly doubled, self-perceived success declined, and feelings of insecurity, stress, and irritation increased. The report says these findings show how everyday tasks can shift from manageable to taxing when health-related limitations are introduced.

For school facility planners, that points to the importance of reducing unnecessary effort in classrooms and support spaces. Practical strategies may include minimizing unnecessary walking, reaching, lifting, and bending; locating frequently used materials more intuitively; improving access to storage and tools; and designing spaces that are easier to reconfigure throughout the day.

Design Can Affect Teacher Confidence and Performance

The study also found that teacher self-efficacy declined under simulated conditions. Overall teacher self-efficacy dropped from 84.65 to 72.53 on a 100-point scale, with the largest declines associated with aging and COPD simulation conditions, particularly for tasks tied to classroom management and student engagement.

For district leaders, this finding is important because the built environment does not only affect comfort. It can influence whether teachers feel capable of managing classrooms, engaging students, moving through the building, and sustaining performance over a full school day.

Cognitive Clarity Is an Accessibility Strategy

The report emphasizes that accessibility is not limited to ramps, clearances, and code compliance. Cognitive clarity also matters.

Corgan’s findings point to the value of simple spatial hierarchies, intuitive organization, thoughtful acoustics, clear wayfinding cues, and defined zones for active and quiet work. These strategies can help reduce mental strain, support focus, and limit the amount of cognitive effort required to navigate daily teaching routines.

The report specifically calls for environments that reduce unnecessary cognitive load and foster a stronger sense of capability across diverse users.

From Research to a Design Guidebook

The research team translated its findings into educator personas and journey maps, then used workshops with educators, designers, and district stakeholders to turn the findings into practical design strategies.

The resulting open-source design guidebook is intended to support both new construction and existing school facilities. The report says design strategies can apply at multiple scales, from individual classroom interventions to broader recommendations for policy, renovation, and new construction.

Among the design directions identified in the report are:

• Modular classroom designs
• Sensory-friendly zones
• Universally usable teaching environments
• Equitable access to storage and tools
• Multisensory support
• Quiet and active zones
• Space for rest and focus
• Operational strategies such as layered support or micro-break policies

“Campuses have made strides toward inclusivity, particularly in supporting students with diverse needs,” said Chloe Hosid Sloan, education design researcher at Corgan. “This research goes further by asking how learning environments can also better support the educators with settings that foster capability, comfort, and longevity in the profession.”

Melissa Hoelting, assistant director of Corgan—Hugo, said the goal was to move the research into practical guidance: “Our goal was to transform findings into practical guidance and design strategies that ultimately help teachers thrive in their environments, not just endure them.”

Why This Matters

For school district leaders, facilities planners, and design teams, the research is a reminder that accessibility should account for everyone who uses a school building, not only students. Educator well-being, retention, safety, and daily performance are shaped by classroom layout, storage placement, acoustics, lighting, circulation, furniture flexibility, access to quiet space, and operational policies. As districts modernize schools, even small design decisions can reduce fatigue, improve usability, and help educators remain effective over the long term.