[blindkid] To Sign or not To Sign
Peter Donahue
pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com
Sun Feb 24 16:10:23 UTC 2013
Good morning everyone,
Like Merry's neighborhood there were signs for a deaf child posted near
the child's home. My parents saw this and had "Blind Child" signs placed
near our house as well. They attracted more attention then was desired. They
made fine targets for the neighborhood kids to throw rocks at or shoot at as
if they were meant for target practicing. Given these reactions these signs
had the very opposite effect then originally intended. If I had a disabled
child I would avoid them like the plague. If a municipality insisted on
putting up these signs due to my disabled child I'd tell them "Not on our
block!"
Peter Donahue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Merry-Noel Chamberlain" <owinm at yahoo.com>
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>; <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2013 9:46 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] To Sign or not To Sign
This has been a very interesting conversation. I thank everyone for their
input in helping Ashleah with her Girl Scout research project. My daughter,
Ashleah, is a super traveler. (She has no choice as I am an O&M instructor.)
My husband & I have been discussing this topic ever since buying this house
this past summer. It is his old neighborhood of his growing up days. At that
time there was a sign for a deaf child. We live four houses from the Middle
& Elem. schools and on the street where parents drop off and pick up their
children. It can get quite busy- especially in the morning as parents are in
a rush to get to work. Needless to say, my husband and I have opposite
opinions about this topic. We have discussed this idea with Ashleah, now in
7th grade and walking to school for the first time in her life. Although we
live so close to school, she does need to cross 2 streets/one intersection.
Before school, most times, there is a crossing guard but
afterwards, she enjoys staying later for social activities and, at that
time, there is not a crossing guard by the time she leaves school. I did
some research and discovered our town no longer has a special sign for
blindness, deafness, or otherwise. Rather, there is a "Caution, Special
Needs Child" sign. Here, the sign can be posted only up to when the child
is age 13 or entering Middle School. Sometimes I'll meet her at school
and walk with her home to monitor her street crossing skills..... She used
to run to dross the street but now, she is walking... Her confidence is
growing!
Merry-Noel
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