[Nfbc-info] Can you believe this?

[Michael Hingson]

Blind girl banned from using cane at school for health and safety reasons

Yahoo Canada News -- Wed, 18 Nov, 2015

A mother of a blind seven-year-old girl has said she is absolutely livid
after her daughter was banned from using her walking cane at school - in
case she TRIPS up teachers and pupils.
Lily-Grace Hooper suffered a stroke when she was just four days old, leaving
her virtually blind and only able to see light in one eye.
However, she received an essentially lifeline earlier this year when a
charity donated her a fibre-glass walking cane - after she started using
cardboard tubes to guide herself at home.
But she has been banned from using the device at her primary school - after
a risk assessment was carried out - and said it posed a high risk to others
around her.
Instead, Lily-Grace has been told she should instead have full adult support
at all times - and has to walk carefully.
The decision by Hambrook Primary School and the Sensory Support Service -
which does assessments for schools - has infuriated mum Kristy.
Kristy, 38, said: When the school told me she can no longer bring her cane
into school, I just thought this must be health and safety gone mad.
She hasnt had any problems with any of the other students, and none of the
parents have complained about it - in fact, they have all been very
supportive.
I dont understand where the school is coming from.

Lily-Grace has taken to the cane very quickly, and she needs it as she
travels to school, walks to the playground, or just being in school.

I am absolutely livid. What about the health and safety of my girl? I like
school, they are a good school, but this really is very poor advice.

Its just ridiculous. If you took a walking cane away from a blind adult, you
would say that was discrimination. Its the same here.

Kristy is worried that her daughter will become dependent on having someone
show her around, while a helper would also set her daughter apart from the
rest of her class.

She added: It is a disability, but I want to celebrate it and make sure she
can become independent.

Sarah Murray, founder of Common Sense Canes, who donated a stick to
Lily-Grace, described her treatment as absolute nonsense.

Ive heard about this health and safety reasons, and I just cannot fathom
what the school is thinking. Why are they taking a cane away from a little
girl?

School head Jo Dent has since said they would discuss the situation with
Kristy.

She said: The schools mobility officer raised health and safety issues
around the new cane following a recent risk assessment.

We have to consider all of our pupils, so it is important that we have an
opportunity to discuss the situation before we make any decisions.

We are very keen to resolve this issue as soon as possible and have been
actively seeking to engage with the parent to bring this to an agreeable
conclusion.

The pupil has not been banned from bringing in their cane, we have simply
asked them to not use it around school as a temporary measure until we have
the chance to meet with the parent and discuss the situation.

It was initially hoped that we would have this resolved within a day or two.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blind-girl-banned-using-cane-161536749.html