[Mdpobc] Fundraiser Campaign for SMART Brailler

Sun Nov 24 20:08:13 UTC 2013

good!!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Trudy Pickrel 
  To: Maryland Parents of Blind Children List 
  Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2013 2:51 PM
  Subject: Re: [Mdpobc] Fundraiser Campaign for SMART Brailler

  Thank you all for your comment. I have been in touch with amber off list and we have put her in contact with several resources. Thank you

  Trudy Pickrel
  President MD Parents of Blind Children

  On Nov 24, 2013, at 2:47 PM, "Kyle Richmond" <Kyle.Richmond2009 at comcast.net> wrote:

    Chris, yes, totally agree with you.  I thought from the other email that this child was in regular pre-k in a public school, which I thought was out of the infant and toddler program and into a real IEP --- but maybe not!!   That is why I was leaning towards the school paying for this device.
    The questions to ask, I guess, are:   is this student already receiving braille services?  Does he have a regular Perkins?  And finally, as a pre-K aged child, are his hands and fingers strong enough to USE a regular Perkins?  Maybe not, so maybe this other Perkins Smart brailler would be an excellent choice.  Just some thoughts!
    PS - Amber - feel free to contact me directly anytime at kyle.richmond2009 at comcast.net.  My son is in college now but I can remember when he was that little!!! Best of luck to you!
    Jill

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: christopher nusbaum 
      To: Maryland Parents of Blind Children List 
      Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2013 12:25 AM
      Subject: Re: [Mdpobc] Fundraiser Campaign for SMART Brailler

      Jill,

      While I understand your reasoning for asking these questions, I must point out that the child in question is currently in preschool. So it is likely that the preschool in which he is enrolled is not affiliated with a County school system and therefore is not under the same legal obligation. In addition, the IEP process has probably not yet begun. I would advise that this family wait until their blind son is fully enrolled in the public school system and an IEP has been drafted outlining the basic services he needs before they start pursuing school system funds for technology. For a child of this age, there are many more fundamental aspects of blindness services which must first be taken care of: Braille, TVI services, O and M, etc. Without these fundamentals in a child's initial IEP, any assistive technology the school system might purchase for him/her would, in my opinion, be useless.

       Please understand that I am not saying that school system funding for technology should not be pursued or that the school's legal obligation should be ignored; quite the contrary. I am only trying to make sure we don't put the cart before the horse. Please also understand that I am only basing my opinions on my experiences as a blind student in the public schools, and that Amber is free to correct me if any of my assumptions are wrong. In our experience, however, my family and I have found it better to go after the schools for technology funding only after my basic services were provided for under my IEP. 

      Chris Nusbaum

      On Nov 23, 2013, at 6:19 PM, Kyle Richmond <Kyle.Richmond2009 at comcast.net> wrote:

        Has the school said this child would benefit from a Perkins Smart Brailler and/or needs a Smart Brailler to participate at school?  If so, why is this parent having to pay for this device herself?  Shouldn't the school be paying for this?  I don't know enough about this situation to make suggestions but just want to ask these questions!  Finally, parents of very young blind children, try not to set a precedent that you will pay for everything, let the school provide for what it legally needs to provide under the IDEA laws.
        Jill Richmond
        PS - the Perkins Smart Brailler does look super-cool, love the new technology and the T-shirt is adorable!

          ----- Original Message ----- 
          From: Gmail 
          To: Maryland Parents of Blind Children List 
          Sent: Saturday, November 23, 2013 10:49 AM
          Subject: [Mdpobc] Fundraiser Campaign for SMART Brailler

          Hi Trudy! My name is Amber and my son, Max, is a totally blind 3 year old. We are up in the Frederick area and he is enrolled in Pre-K already. I am trying to get the word out about a fundraiser I am doing in the hopes of being able to purchase him a SMART Brailler. It's a tee shirt campaign and I have attached the link below. Do you think you can send it out to the listserv? I appreciate your help getting the word out. 

          http://teespring.com/brailleliteracy

          Sincerely,
          Amber Elia

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