[blindkid] Music Camps? Another alternative!

Tue Mar 11 12:58:38 UTC 2014

First, I need to confess that I am still a bit baffled by how the list serve works.  Anyhow, I have been reading this thread, which stated with a child being discouraged from attending a band camp,  and I think that there is a great need for this conversation to go beyond the list serve and into a Future Reflections article. I say this because, I feel mama-empowered, after reading the lengthy (not too lengthy) response which started with, "Is this camp actually run for (if not by) the school system?"  What a well-written and powerful response.  I have printed it off because I know that before long, there will be a situation that requires my child and me to respond to similar concerns.  I can imagine myself re-reading this response to prepare myself for what to say and how to say it.  As I mentioned, I am not completely understanding how the thread works and I do not know who wrote this response? I would like permission to keep a hard-copy of it for
 my personal use. Thank you, Jennifer

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Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 8:00 AM
Subject: blindkid Digest, Vol 119, Issue 9

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Music Camps? Another alternative! (Eric Calhoun)
   2. Re: Music camp?  Another alternative! (Eric Calhoun)
   3. Re: Music camp?  Another alternative! (Albert J Rizzi)
   4. Re: Music camp?  Another alternative! (Lydia Anne Schuck)
   5. Re: Music camp?  Another alternative! (Richard Holloway)
Bo, it is disgusting to note that NFB cannot handle people with multiple
disabilities!  But don't stop fighting!  I know a few people in the
Federation.  The question is whether or not they care.   I know that at the
camp I go to, (Indian Creek Camp in Liberty, TN,) people are not treated
like that.  If you want, I may ask you to call Peggy at Christian Record
Services, 402-488-0981, Ext. 222.  You may point your browser to
www.blindcamps.org and fill out the application.  If you choose ICC, the
people do a great job at helping kids with disabilities.  While NFB knows
they need to be more accommodating to blind people with other disabilities,
the battle is not over.  Don't give up, ma'am!

Eric
..

..

Sighted and blind people, Eric from Los Angeles.  Here's where you can
find me: The all-new Stairs to Heaven Christian Line, 712-432-4808, Room 9;
the all-new Eric Calhoun Magazine; to subscribe, send a message to
eric at pmpmail.com, with the subject line, "The Eric Calhoun Magazine.";
talking Dodger Baseball, let's talk Dodgers!:
lets-talk-dodgers-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com, and
click on Directory of Lists; my general-interest group,
erics_chat_session-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com and
click on Directory of Lists, and on Facebook at eric at pmpmail.com.  The Eric
Calhoun Magazine is free of charge in your email!  You are the star of the
show!  All we ask is that when you submit a Special Notice, that it is free
and legal.  You may also submit articles, Pen Pals, and tidbits.  In 2014:
Try to be good to each other!

Albert, I believe Ben's example of really pushing for this camp is
commendable.  It is about advocating for himself.  As I explained to
Crystal, North Torrance High had a Fine Arts Retreat.  I was allowed to go,
provided that I was chaperoned.  The very hot, 80-degree weekend was
eventful, and I was the only blind student to go.  The only requirements? 
Keep your grades up and have fun.  I walked out of there empowered.

And the school needs to not be so dead set against chaperones.  If Ben
wants to be a great role model, we want to be behind him.  But remember:
it's not about just changing minds, it's about getting on the ball and
changing perceptions.  How about this: Why can't the National Federation of
the Blind host a music camp for prospective students at National
Conventions?

eric in reply to Albert
..

..

Sighted and blind people, Eric from Los Angeles.  Here's where you can
find me: The all-new Stairs to Heaven Christian Line, 712-432-4808, Room 9;
the all-new Eric Calhoun Magazine; to subscribe, send a message to
eric at pmpmail.com, with the subject line, "The Eric Calhoun Magazine.";
talking Dodger Baseball, let's talk Dodgers!:
lets-talk-dodgers-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com, and
click on Directory of Lists; my general-interest group,
erics_chat_session-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com and
click on Directory of Lists, and on Facebook at eric at pmpmail.com.  The Eric
Calhoun Magazine is free of charge in your email!  You are the star of the
show!  All we ask is that when you submit a Special Notice, that it is free
and legal.  You may also submit articles, Pen Pals, and tidbits.  In 2014:
Try to be good to each other!

Eric,

All about letting Ben shine and be supported as he marches to his own beat
along with everyone else.

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
Founder and CEO
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347

"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."

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-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eric
Calhoun
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2014 10:00 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Music camp? Another alternative!

Albert, I believe Ben's example of really pushing for this camp is
commendable.  It is about advocating for himself.  As I explained to
Crystal, North Torrance High had a Fine Arts Retreat.  I was allowed to go,
provided that I was chaperoned.  The very hot, 80-degree weekend was
eventful, and I was the only blind student to go.  The only requirements? 
Keep your grades up and have fun.  I walked out of there empowered.

And the school needs to not be so dead set against chaperones.  If Ben wants
to be a great role model, we want to be behind him.  But remember:
it's not about just changing minds, it's about getting on the ball and
changing perceptions.  How about this: Why can't the National Federation of
the Blind host a music camp for prospective students at National
Conventions?

eric in reply to Albert
..

..

Sighted and blind people, Eric from Los Angeles.  Here's where you can find
me: The all-new Stairs to Heaven Christian Line, 712-432-4808, Room 9; the
all-new Eric Calhoun Magazine; to subscribe, send a message to
eric at pmpmail.com, with the subject line, "The Eric Calhoun Magazine.";
talking Dodger Baseball, let's talk Dodgers!:
lets-talk-dodgers-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com, and
click on Directory of Lists; my general-interest group,
erics_chat_session-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com and
click on Directory of Lists, and on Facebook at eric at pmpmail.com.  The Eric
Calhoun Magazine is free of charge in your email!  You are the star of the
show!  All we ask is that when you submit a Special Notice, that it is free
and legal.  You may also submit articles, Pen Pals, and tidbits.  In 2014:
Try to be good to each other!
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You might want to look into the Braille Beats Fine Arts program in Michigan.

Lydia Schuck, MSEd
Research Associate, National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
Western Michigan University
1908 W. Michigan Avenue, Mailstop 5259
Kalamazoo, MI  49008
phone 269.387.5990

----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Calhoun <eric at pmpmail.com>
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Sent: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:00:07 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Music camp?  Another alternative!

Albert, I believe Ben's example of really pushing for this camp is
commendable.  It is about advocating for himself.  As I explained to
Crystal, North Torrance High had a Fine Arts Retreat.  I was allowed to go,
provided that I was chaperoned.  The very hot, 80-degree weekend was
eventful, and I was the only blind student to go.  The only requirements? 
Keep your grades up and have fun.  I walked out of there empowered.

And the school needs to not be so dead set against chaperones.  If Ben
wants to be a great role model, we want to be behind him.  But remember:
it's not about just changing minds, it's about getting on the ball and
changing perceptions.  How about this: Why can't the National Federation of
the Blind host a music camp for prospective students at National
Conventions?

eric in reply to Albert
..

..

Sighted and blind people, Eric from Los Angeles.  Here's where you can
find me: The all-new Stairs to Heaven Christian Line, 712-432-4808, Room 9;
the all-new Eric Calhoun Magazine; to subscribe, send a message to
eric at pmpmail.com, with the subject line, "The Eric Calhoun Magazine.";
talking Dodger Baseball, let's talk Dodgers!:
lets-talk-dodgers-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com, and
click on Directory of Lists; my general-interest group,
erics_chat_session-subscribe at emissives.com, or go to www.emissives.com and
click on Directory of Lists, and on Facebook at eric at pmpmail.com.  The Eric
Calhoun Magazine is free of charge in your email!  You are the star of the
show!  All we ask is that when you submit a Special Notice, that it is free
and legal.  You may also submit articles, Pen Pals, and tidbits.  In 2014:
Try to be good to each other!
_______________________________________________
blindkid mailing list
blindkid at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:
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Is this camp actually run for (if not by) the school system? It sounds to me like the school is very much involved. Discussed in an IEP and the school isn’t involved? How is this possible?

We had a situation where all gifted-identified students were told (by a form sent home) they could go to a special camp for gifted students in the summer (just day camp) for a week some years ago. “All students in the gifted program” were welcome to attend, albeit at a county facility.

Well, maybe they meant "all but the blind kids" and forgot to put that in the memo. There is apparently only one blind AND gifted-identified student in our county (or at least so it was at the time) despite having approximately 100,000 students in our county school system. We followed their rules, filled out the forms, signed up by the deadline, and brought them a money order, because county policy is they don’t take checks and they don’t take CASH… (What’s that part on our dollar bills about being for all debts public and private? But I digress...) The point being, we jumped through all the hoops just like the the parents of the sighted kids did and dropped things off (as also required) at the county office and by the deadline.

When I returned home, they had already called before I finished the 15 minute drive back from the county office. Mind you, typically, this county does NOTHING fast… They were in a state of much concern and confusion. They just weren’t sure they could accommodate a BLIND student at the camp!!!

Long story short, they sort of tried to “confide" in us that they were "concerned they might have to cancel the entire camp" if they could not accommodate us "as required by law”. (Their own admission.) They were CLEARLY hoping to persuade us to just cancel our registration. Remember, (like you said, Crystal) if we back down, the problem is solved completely from their standpoint.

We were quite unpersuaded to assist them in discriminating against our child. Our thought was gosh, yes, that WOULD be a shame to cancel the entire camp, so maybe you need to get someone there to assist us, as appropriate. Of corse what we needed was a bit different that your situation. Mostly we needed things in braille, or digitally provided for her notetaker, and assurance that things would be described as needed, and she would need to be assisted to move about from place to place in an unfamiliar environment, which incidentally had no braille signage whatsoever in the building. (This was in an existing county elementary school.)

On a side note, her current school apparently requested permanent braille signage for all the rooms before she began first grade. She is about to finish fifth grade and move on to middle school next year. The initial request for signage was made over five years ago. All we have managed in 5 years is the same dymo tape (replaced now and then as needed) placed by her TVI as a “temporary” solution while she was in Kindergarten and going to her new school for O&M to learn her routes. The wheel of progress turn very slowly at times…. 

I don’t know how similar your situation may be. They may have ways they can legally fail to accommodate your child, but especially if this is run by the school district, or run FOR them as any part of the school curriculum, or in SUPPORT of the school curriculum, or in any way utilizes the county-owned facilities and/or equipment (busses, football fields, school grounds, even to assemble to depart, etc.) or if they simply have advertised that as they CLEARLY have, there’s a pretty decent chance they are required to take in all students, or the program can’t be run. My suspicion is that without school referrals, the camps wouldn’t exist, right?

I’m no courtroom judge, but the test in my mind, is if replacing the word “Blind” in their explanation of discrimination makes things sound blatantly more inappropriate to others, that’s a decent indication. Such as, “your child isn in a WHEELCHAIR???” we cannot possibly accommodate a kid in a wheelchair. 

Really? 

Or jump back in time a few decades. Maybe it is an issue of race. “We don’t accept African American students here.” or “We don’t accept Hispanic students here.” That doesn’t fly so well here in 2014— not that it ever should have flown at all...

To me, those all sit equally poorly right along with not dealing with blind people. Maybe they could say they only accept kids who have passed some band audition, much like the camp we had a problem with only accepted kids in the gifted program, but it seems to me that once you’re in, you’re in, and if there is no qualification required at all? Then it should be that much simpler. 

In fact, we had another situation with “Chess Club" back around second grade. It was actually a private company coming to teach chess to kids after school, but it was offered through the school and on the school grounds. They did this at various schools and had “meets” between them from time to time. They had no choice but to accommodate us. I did come and help out, trying to make that situation work more smoothly, but that was just me trying be accommodating for our part, and to help my young daughter be comfortable as well. No matter if I had volunteered or not, they had no choice (as I understood it) but to work with us, or the school had to cancel the entire program. I’m sorry, but I’m over feeling bad for others if it turns out that compliance is inconvenient for them. I’ll help however I can from our end, but our kid isn’t going to be excluded like that. It simply should’t happen to ANY of our children.

There will always be a few people (most of whom have zero experience with special needs) who are irritated because we ask our schools to follow the law and treat our blind children like they are simply part of our school systems, and our communities, since it could impact these same people personally, as THEIR (typical) kids might miss out on something, but there’s a reason we have laws, after all… 

Apologies for the length of my reply. Hopefully one day I will learn to me more concise...

I hope you can get this resolved favorably.

Best of luck.

On Mar 9, 2014, at 1:32 PM, Crystal Schumacher <crystal_schu at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I just don't think it is right that they are advertising this camp at his public school and then depending on the type of disability, pick and choose who can attend. Why this camp? Because his Band teacher is teaching at it and many of his classmates will be attending. Everyone is talking about it. The teachers made it a topic at his IEP meeting, so public school is indeed involved in my opinion. How can public school allow advertisement of a private camp that would discriminate against students with disabilities? 
> 
> What are the camps concerns? That he won't be able to navigate the camp, that he won't be able to participate in the recreational activities, and that the camp cannot meet his needs. In my opinion, they are afraid of blindness in general and have little understanding of what it means to be blind. I feel the camp would love for me to go away, that would make it easy for them. I understand that in order to get into the "club" I need to make them feel comfortable and play by their rules. Most importantly, Ben will be paving the way for another blind student in the years to come. As someone once said, it is he opportunity to be equal, and the right to be different. That's what were looking for.
> 
> Crystal

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