[nabs-l] Frustrating High School Issue...

[Beth Taurasi]

Hi, Johnny.
I'mi sitting in your backyard, writing you a reply to your email. I did 
not exactly get some of the normal experiences that some teenagers get, 
so I hope that your parents can be good advocates and say you don't need 
the challenge room for students with multiple disabilities.  Oftentimes, 
in what we now call "special ed", we get lowered expectations, the worst 
possible education, and unqualified aids and paraeducators who don't 
know enough about disability.  I would suggest doing some research about 
the unchallenging things about the "special ed" rooms.  Throwing you in 
that room will isolate you from the other students, and I don't think 
that's healthy.  I have had sighted friends, and those friends open a 
huge door.  Also, I'd talk to Julie Deden and Brent Batron from CCB over 
in Littleton.  IF you do participate in the youth programs, I'd do 
something where the staff of CCB actually demonstrate the badness of 
being isolated in special ed, and they can possibly bring in some 
sobering statistics.
Hth,
Beth

On 1/28/2014 9:00 PM, johnnie Jean duran wrote:
> Dear National Association of Blind Students,
> As some of you are aware of, next year, I will become a 9th grader
> (freshman) at Alameda International High School. This high school is a
> public school in Lakewood Colorado.
> While visiting the school for the first time, I'd realized that the
> area in which the 9th grade students have classes in, has no braille
> on the walls. There are 2 pods, that look exactly alike, but there is
> no braille on each doorway to identify which room you are entering.
> This is going to be an issue for me because there is no way of
> identifying which room I am entering, or which pod I am in. I brought
> this situation up to my TVI and ONM teachers. My ONM teacher then
> informed me that she'd spoken to Alameda several times, and they've
> made it seem as if this issue was not a necessity. My TVI told me that
> she would talk to the administration about this issue. A few days
> later, she happily informed me that they were getting braille up on
> the walls ASAP.
> 2 months later, while I am viseting the school with my 8th grade
> class, we took a tour through the pods, and still I did not see any
> braille. At a parent night my Mom attended tonight, she brought up the
> issue to the Assistant Principal as well. He informed us that he's
> been aware of the situation for several years, and then turned away as
> if it were not important enough to discuss. He then told us, that I
> would be placed in a challenge room with students who have multiple
> disabilities. I was frustrated with this issue because of the fact
> that I do not need to be in a challenge room. I am capable of
> everything a sighted individual is capable of doing, and the only
> thing that is stopping me is that braille. I feel like I am being
> underestimated, and I rfuse to be placed in a challege room when I
> don't need it.
> The NFB is my last resort, therefore as experienced blind students, I
> am asking for your help. How would I take this situation to the next
> level?
> All advice is always appreciated!
> Thank you,
> JJ
>