[blindkid] To Sign or not To Sign

Carrie Gilmer carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
Sat Feb 23 16:36:46 UTC 2013


Hello~
What a great project idea! 
I have raised 4 children, and in the course of it have at times lived in high traffic areas...anyone who has raised a child has had the knowledge and experience of the street in front of their home being a potential great place of danger.
When I perceived any of my children were incapable of measuring that danger independently and remaining within safe limits they simply were not allowed in the front yard beyond my arms or movability reach.
My middle two, one of them blind, had a nature where if I simply said "no"....they never went there and i could count on it to the degree that if a ball entered the street they came to me to get it rather than attempt it on their own. My oldest and youngest were quite the opposite, where if I said "no" it was sure that they responded with "i'll see for my self and other people appear to do it all the time without a problem I can too".
For my oldest especially, who was and is textbook ADHD, i could have used a sign that read "Child without attention span or brakes vulnerable to run into street at any moment over confident of his ability or on complete impulse without any awareness except on whatever is drawing his attention at the moment, i.e. the butterfly hovering over the mailbox on the other side, and refuses to accept or is incapable of accepting and holding the idea of 'watch out for cars' and even though should now know better does not act accordingly, I am just trying to keep him alive until 3rd grade, PLEASE HELP BY PUTTING YOUR CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHING IT PAST MY HOUSE" all in flashing lights....if nothing else people would have to slow in order to read that much.
For me there are two questions: 1. Does a sign really help; is it effective?...Is it NECESSARY? 2. What is the real message sent and/or received...and are they the same?
Honestly, when I see these signs for deaf child or blind child, I really wonder...is the parent actually relying on this? When of school age my children had a couple of blocks to walk to the bus stop...would we need a sign on each block? if my child is that vulnerable why am i allowing them out on or near the street alone? What if the sign was perceived as: "Dear pedophile, child on this block who we think is vulnerable and is left to only the protection of this sign at certain times exists....pay attention"
For me it is a matter of the particular child's tendency/ability to manage the dangers of the street...not a particular disability...and if for whatever reason said child cannot manage those dangers safely, I have no business letting them do so...my business is to either supervise if they will never be capable (profound cognitive barriers) or training them to be capable of management.
Any remotely responsible driver is always aware any child could pop out at anytime in any neighborhood and should be driving accordingly...there are those, especially in my experience--teen males--who zoom down the street tires screeching, displaying testosterone....they don't consider any road rule applicable until they are caught or grow out of it....thus the entire reason the onus is on the caregiver, not some sign. Plus I really like Steve's point of being horrified there is a sign "about me"....especially when completely unnecessary.
Carrie

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 22, 2013, at 11:03 PM, "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:

> My gut feeling is the same as yours.  It seems to me that the "spotlight" effect is going to be greater than the positive effects would be.  The cane should 
> be an adequate notification, I would think.  Remembering my days as a blind kid, I would have been embarrassed to know that there was a sign about 
> me.  As a parent, I know that one tends to try to find anything that can protect our kids, but I agree with other posts that even raise the possibility that 
> pointing out to the world that there is a child that some would think of as vulnerable isn't helpful.  .
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Steve Jacobson
> 
> 
> On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:41:58 -0600, Carly B wrote:
> 
>> Hi Merry-Noel,
> 
>> I've thought about this, too. There are a couple of signs on streets near
>> our own. We have not pursued trying to get a sign for our neighborhood. I
>> haven't really thought that through, I think it's just a gut feeling that I
>> don't want to put more of a spotlight on my child than there already is.
>> Know what I mean? I'm not really sure the benefits of having a sign...
> 
>> Thanks for bringing it up. I look forward to hearing what others think!
> 
>> :) Carolynn
> 
>> On Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 7:40 PM, Merry-Noel Chamberlain <owinm at yahoo.com>wrote:
> 
>>> 
>>>  Hi,
>>> My daughter, Ashleah, is working on a girl scout project and would like to
>>> know your thoughts about the "Special Needs" sign.  She is blind and walks
>>> to and from school independently.  Do you think having a Special Needs sign
>>> by our house is a good thing?  Why or why not?
>>> Thanks.
>>> Merry-Noel
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