[blindkid] O&M Instruction for Aubrie

Carrie Gilmer carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
Wed Jan 7 15:34:03 UTC 2009


The IDEA does not say that school district EMPLOYEES must transport (though
many approve them to do so) but the IDEA does say that DISTRICTS must
provide transportation. SO the district must, whether it is a bus, cab or
whatever the district must provide transport for Aubrie AND her teacher to
get to where they need to go for a lesson if they will not allow the
EMPLOYEE to drive.

Orientation and Mobility and transportation are defined as related services
which are required to assist a child to benefit from Special Education in
order to obtain a free and appropriate education. Note: there is
transportation as defined as simply to and from  and around school BUT there
is ALSO transportation as a REQUIREMENT (300.34 Related Services) to assist
the child to benefit from SPECIAL Education (which INCLUDES O and M) which
says that must prepare Aubrie for home-school- work AND COMMUNITY

In the law (word for word-no inserts I only capitalized emphasis) O and M
means:

(7) Orientation and mobility services-
(i) Means services provided to blind OR visually impaired children by
QUALIFIED personnel to ENABLE those students to attain SYSTEMATIC
orientation to AND SAFE movement within their environments in SCHOOL, HOME,
AND COMMUNITY; and 
(ii) Includes teaching children the following as appropriate:
(A) Spatial and environmental concepts and use of information received by
the senses (such as sound, temperature, and vibrations) to ESTABLISH,
MAINTAIN, OR REGAIN, orientation and line of travel (e.g. using traffic
sound at a traffic light to cross the street):

(B) To use the LONG cane or a service animal to supplement visual travel
skills OR AS A TOOL for safely negotiating the environment for children with
no AVAILABLE TRAVEL vision;

(C) to understand and use remaining vision and distance low vision aids; and
(D) other concepts, techniques, and tools.

(16) Transportation includes-
(i) Travel to and from school and between schools;
(ii) Travel in and around school buildings; and
(iii) Specialized equipment if required to provide special transportation

(4) Travel training means providing instruction, as appropriate, to children
with significant cognitive disabilities and ANY OTHER children WHO REQUIRE
this instruction, to enable them to-
(i) develop an awareness of the environment IN WHICH THEY LIVE; and
(ii) Learn the skills necessary to move EFFECTIVELY and SAFELY from place to
place WITHIN that ENVIROMENT (e.g. in HOME, SCHOOL, AT WORK, AND IN THE
COMMUNITY). 


The service is not based on VI or blind, both equally qualify for service.
Note though the one mention that a child will be taught to use REAMINING
Vision (guess who got this in-I wonder)--the trouble is this is often given
inappropriate emphasis as is large print.

Bonnie I am catching up re: Continuing to refine per your letter before the
holidays--will write again on that privately as I can this week. 
 
 
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
www.nfb.org/nopbc
-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Dr. S. Merchant
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 7:23 AM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'
Subject: Re: [blindkid] O&M Instruction for Aubrie

It is not unusual for school system employees to not be able to transport
students, it all has to do with insurance and liability - unfortunately.
Some systems have that liability insurance in place, but I am sure, it does
not come cheaply.

Sandy Ttaboada

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jessica Trask
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 5:24 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [blindkid] O&M Instruction for Aubrie

Bonnie,
That's very interesting the O&M instructor isn't allowed to transport 
students. What is the reasoning for this? I know when I finally started 
getting O&M instruction if needed the O&M instructor was able to 
transport me if was needed but luckily when I started getting O&M 
instruction when I was a sophomore in high school the transportation 
thing wasn't really needed because we were just doing things in the 
local area around where I lived. Also, when I started getting O&M 
instruction I was living in Park City Utah so not much was needed. 
However,once I moved down to Salt Lake the O&M instructors where able 
to transport the students if asoblutely necessary. Where do you guys 
live?  Is your daughter totally blind or severely visually impaired? I 
have Albinism so that was part of the reason I didn't start getting O&M 
services until I was a Sophomore in high school. I believe that it was 
strange that I wasn't getting it before then but partly I believe that 
had a lot to do with the that I was living in a small town when I first 
moved to Park City. It also coinsited with the time most of my friends 
were getting their driver's license too so I wonder if since I couldn't 
drive that was they figured  would be ok to wait until that point time.

-- 
Jess
Jessica Trask

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