[nabs-l] Urgent: Sign the Petition so a Blind Kid can Learn Braille

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi all,
I know that at least some of us went to private preschools for the
blind when we were little, which allowed us to learn Braille at an
early age and avoid having to attend the school for the blind when we
were older. Now, a little blind boy in California named Nathan is
being denied the opportunity to go to a preschool for the blind, the
Blind Children's Learning Center (BCLC). Rather than pay for him to
attend the preschool for the blind, the school district has placed him
in a preschool for kids with serious cognitive disabilities. Last
year, Nathan was the only kid in his class who was able to speak, so
he was unable to interact with his classmates, and he has a TVI who
has said she thinks Braille is too slow and hard for him to learn. I
don't think I have to tell you guys how inappropriate this placement
is for a blind kid without other disabilities. When Nathan went to the
BCLC during the summer, though, he made friends and learned five
letters in just a few months.
Please sign this petition to persuade the school district to pay for
Nathan to go to BCLC before he ages out of their program:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/641/695/309/support-sending-nathan-to-preschool-school-for-the-blind/?cid=FB_TAF
Please do this so that the coming generation of blind kids can get the
education they deserve and gain the skills they need to make their
dreams come true.

Best,
Arielle