[blindkid] Need quick advice for Ari

EJ Buhrke ej_buhrke at hotmail.com
Tue Nov 4 17:12:11 UTC 2008


I have to say we just faced similar experiences just a few weeks ago.  I too was furious to find out that my son was only allowed to walk along with his group as the rest of the group experimented gravity and inertia and force, etc out on the playground.  It is just unbelievable to me that I had shared what a great experience he had rock climbing in CO just a few weeks before school started and a few weeks after school started he was not being allowed on the play equipment at school with his friends because they truly didn't think he could climb a jungle gym or go down a slide.  Through conversation with folks, the liability factor came up here as well, but this idea that he couldn't do these things because he does not choose these things during recess was just astonishing to me.  I had to reassure them that he has played on each and every piece of that equipment at one time or another and I am very comfortable with him using it all.  The reason he does not choose it during recess is because of the mass activity already happening on the play structure and has nothing to do with his ability, but rather a preference for a little more space than he's allowed in that venue at that time. I really struggle with understanding the school's stance on liability though.  If the play structure is such a liability for students should they even have play structures?  I know they are looking at it through a different lense than me and are seeing it only a liability for my blind son, but the same concerns they have about my son on it is valid for all of his sighted peers as well.  The large amount of childern cause concern for kids running into each other and getting hurt or worse, someone falling off somehow.  While I don't see any difference in these concerns based on sight or not, I do get quite frustrated that they put such limits on my son because they are unable to see things differently.  They do not understand that they limited my son's learning possibility because they did not allow him to experience the learning the same as his sighted peers and yet they wanted him to be able to do the same kind of report the rest of the class was suppose to do from their experimenting.  It has been a HUGE hinderance in his academic education to have this double standard as far as I'm concerned, but I do not know how to get through to them.  I am constantly coming to them offering up ideas, support, etc.  I've done in-service with the entire school staff.  While I continue to fight this ignorances, I struggle with finding the balance of being able to raise my son to be able to handle these types of situations and still be able to go to sleep at night with some assemblence of self-worth/self-esteem at the end of the day.  I don't know if there is any answer to your dilemma in my long-windedness here, but thank you for opening up the door for me to get this off my chest.  I didn't know how much it had been eating away at me until I could associate with your 'mama bear' comment.  There are so many times I just want to barrel into his school and start knocking some heads together until someone starts to get it.  The fact is though that I have it much better than many of the horror stories that I read on the lists I'm on. It doesn't mean I don't want better for him, but that is what helps me keep my cool when I go in and try to have civil conversations to address issues that do arise.
 
EJ> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org> From: jjordan_pa at yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 15:31:37 +0000> Subject: [blindkid] Need quick advice for Ari> > I just found out that Ari has been "confined" to "the bar" at recess. Imagine her surprise (and mine) when we took her to school playground and found all the other equipment. She had a blast. Now my dilemma-i called her aide and she said the principal was worried about the liability to the school and wouldn't let her play on the equipment during school hours. I need your help in remaining objective and diplomatic because "the momma bear" in me wants to eat him for lunch. Your comments are welcome. Janice> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T> > -----Original Message-----> From: "David B Andrews" <David.B.Andrews at state.mn.us> (by way of David Andrews> <dandrews at visi.com>)> > Date: Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:22:39 > To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>> Subject: [blindkid] Fwd: Make it Matter> > > >>> "Kim Moccia (ADM)" <Kim.Moccia at state.mn.us> 10/29/2008 10:40 AM >>>> Here is an opportunity to recognize someone who makes a difference > AND earn $100,000 for a deserving non-profit!> > > Type: Foundations> Agency: Reader's Digest Foundation> Program: Reader's Digest Foundation "Make it matter"> Eligibility: Non-profit organizations> > Purpose: Make it Matter" is a new initiative of the Reader's Digest > Foundation. The Foundation will give away $1 million to nonprofit > organizations based on inspiring stories submitted by the public.> > Every month for ten months, Reader's Digest will choose one > individual whose story of giving back serves as an inspiration to > others. For each story, the Reader's Digest Foundation will donate > $100,000 to a nonprofit organization that is associated either with > the story or the cause. These individuals and their stories of giving > back will appear every month in the new "Make it Matter" column in > Reader's Digest and on rd.com, beginning with the April issue.> > > Name: N/A> Deadline: January 01, 2009> Maximum Award: $100,000 per month> Number Of Awards: 10> Period: over 10 months 4/08-1/09> > > More Information:> > > Know anyone making an extraordinary contribution to your community? > As announced on The Today Show, tell the Reader's Digest Foundation > about them, and the story selected by RDF may be featured in Reader's > Digest. Plus, RDF will give $100,000 to a deserving charity in their > name. Your stories may also appear on > <http://www.todayshow.com/>todayshow.com or > <http://www.rd.com/>rd.com. So tell us about the good works below -- > or email your story to <mailto:makeitmatter at rd.com>makeitmatter at rd.com!> > URL: > <http://www.efundraising.com/Readers-Digest-Foundation.aspx?partner=grantsalert>http://www.efundraising.com/Readers-Digest-Foundation.aspx?partner=grantsalert > > > > > Kim Moccia> Minnesota STAR Program> 358 Centennial Office Bldg> 658 Cedar Street> Saint Paul, MN 55155> > 651-201-2297 (direct dial)> 651-282-6671 (fax)> > Email: kim.moccia at state.mn.us> Web site: www.starprogram.state.mn.us> > STAR Technology Exchange> STARTE reusing assistive technology!> www.mnstarte.org> > > > > > > > _______________________________________________> blindkid mailing list> blindkid at nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/jjordan_pa%40yahoo.com> _______________________________________________> blindkid mailing list> blindkid at nfbnet.org> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindkid:> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/ej_buhrke%40hotmail.com
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