[blparent] Accessible Homework?

[Veronica Smith]

Where do you live? Veronica
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex" <heyitslu at gmail.com>
To: <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 7:24 PM
Subject: [blparent] Accessible Homework?


> Hello, all!  I am new to the listserve; thus, please forgive me if
> these issues have previously been addressed.  I am a blind, single mom
> and of an autistic, sighted, nearly 5-year-old boy, who will enter
> kindergarten in the fall.  We live away from family and have few
> friends in this area, who can provide frequent sighted assistance.  My
> son already participates in the special education program at an
> elementary school.  IEP's and progress reports as well as information
> from his teacher and therapists have been made accessible; however,
> homework assignments are not truly accessible.  His speech therapist
> has pictures of vocabulary words, which accompany worksheets, games,
> and lists of questions.  although not required, this is our first look
> at homework, and I am extremely apprehensive regarding the future.  I
> am concerned that I will not be able to assist him in completing
> assignments.  I am also concerned about getting assignments in an
> accessible format.  Although my son is starting to read, he only reads
> when he feels like it, and he is not able to relate events of a day,
> tell a story, etc.  How have you helped your children with homework,
> particularly if your child is sighted but has other sensory and/or
> communication challenges?
> The speech therapist and I discussed this issue earlier today.  She
> has proposed to e-mail me homework assignments or send them home on a
> flash drive.  She has also agreed to outline the pictures in glue.
> She said that she would label them for me, but she does not know
> Braille and wants me to make the labels.  I don't have a problem
> making labels, but making labels in the future will require
> considerable planning in the future on everyone's part.  Also, the
> school my son attends does not have a "Vision Rehabilitation Teacher",
> and I was told that the Vision Teacher is only to assist visually
> impaired students.
> Does the school system have a legal obligation to make homework
> assignments, IEP's, progress reports, etc.  accessible to me?  If so,
> who usually ensures that these things are accessible?
> Any advice and information you can provide would be greatly
> appreciated.  The IEP is up for review in March.  I am trying to move
> into this elementary school's zone because they are willing to work
> with me but just don't seem to know how.  If we go to the elementary
> school for which we are zoned, I am concerned the atmosphere will not
> be as accomodating, and I will need to make sure that any
> accomodations I need in order to properly support my son are well
> delineated prior to entering that school.
> Warmest regards,
> Lucy
>
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