[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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