[blindkid] Street crossing

Chantel Alberhasky chantel at alberhaskylaw.com
Thu May 17 19:16:01 UTC 2012


Drake is finishing 2nd grade and this year he had the goal of being able to  safely  cross a low traffic residential street.   He is able to do it 75% of the time - he indicates when it is safe and of course his O&M instructor doesn't let him cross if a car is coming - so we are continuing with this goal.  Once he accomplished the goal, we will change it to crossing high traffic residential street.  

My sighted daughter began middle school this year and has to walk two blocks and cross two high traffic residential streets to get to the bus stop.  Drake who just finished 2nd grade began expressing concern about how he was going to find the bus stop and find his house when it came his turn to ride the bus to middle school.  I assured him that his O&M instructor would teach him the skills so he could do it.   

Although I told Drake he would ready to independently walk to/from the bus stop I didn't believe it.  His concerns got me thinking how I would argue the district must accommodate Drake by having the bus stop in front of our house.  I would refuse the special education bus because the travel time on the regular education bus is important social time with his friends so they would simply have to make our house his bus stop.  

But then it dawned on me I was preparing for the WRONG fight.  Instead of worrying about the school accommodating him I should be focused on ensuring my blind child can independently walk to the bus stop.   I realized I need to make sure his O&M instructor is teaching him the proper techniques so when the time comes for him to walk to the middle school bus stop he will be able to do so just as his sighted peers are able and expected to do so.   It really brought home how important good O&M training is to our kids.

Chantel
 
Chantel L. Alberhasky, Esq
419 Boonville Avenue
Springfield, MO 65806
417.865.4444

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 >> street crossings I needed to do for this route were merely residential
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