[blindkid] Need help

Albert J Rizzi albert at myblindspot.org
Thu Dec 17 20:22:59 UTC 2009


Tell kaylee I said break a leg! I got chills reading this. To know that she
and you did not play into the old ways of how the blind are expected not to
learn, shows me as a newly blind adult that not accepting nos and cant's
means something in our community. 

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."



-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kim Cunningham
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 3:03 PM
To: (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Need help

I would like to thank everyone for your help with this "musical" matter. As
always, I was given a wide range of directions I could take. Your advice
always makes me stop and think about what I'm doing. Especially, I would
like to thank everyone for allowing me to lean on you when times get tough.
Your support is what keeps me from going crazy sometimes!
Late yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from my daughter's
caseworker. Apparently, a young lady accepted the plea for help. Kayleigh
met with her and they have come up with several rehearsal dates. The young
lady is a ballerina and has no problem with helping on body movements. Time
is on our side now as the kids are out for Christmas break too. Musical
rehearsal will still take place, but Kayleigh will have more time to catch
up. I canceled the ARD, but did request the principal speak with the choir
director about his requirement to follow the ARD. There have been other
issues with this director. At least he knows the principal (and momma) is
watching him now. I'm not sure what conversations took place within the
school yesterday, but Kayleigh came home from rehearsal yesterday evening
and said the choreographer praised her for her improvement and told her she
was doing a great job. He also said he could tell how hard she was working.
 Kayleigh's spirit was lifted. She is bound and determined to be on par with
her peers. Knowing my daughter, I don't doubt her for one moment either....
Keep your fingers crossed that it's smooth sailing from here on!
Sincerely,
Kim Cunningham

--- On Wed, 12/16/09, DrV <icdx at earthlink.net> wrote:


From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Need help
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 5:41 PM


Hi Kim,
How very frustrating.
I suggest that Kayleigh join the NFB's Sports and Recreation Division
list-serve today & ask for their suggestions on how she might most
effectively approach this. If she posts this today, then she may get back
some useful suggestions as early as this evening. The Sports & Rec members
are very open & have been a great resource for us & I suspect Kayleigh would
get some concrete suggestions & insights there.
Sincerely,
Eric V


----- Original Message ----- From: "Kim Cunningham"
<kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
To: "Blindkid" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 12:52
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Need help


> Thank you Sandy for your warmth! I have called an ARD for Thursday
morning. After speaking to the case manager this morning, I asked "What is
it going to take? Do I need to contact the director of special education?"
The case manager informed me that the director already knows about the
situation........I was dumbfounded! So the CTVI, case manager, choir
director, school principal, and the director of special education are all
aware that Kayleigh is looking for help with learning the routines and
nobody has offered to help her????? Do you think these people just can' t
imagine how to teach a blind person to dance and are stuck in their tracks?
Surely this can't be the reason, but I'm beginning to wonder. Kayleigh knows
exactly how she needs to be taught, but she just needs to find a person
willing to help her.
> There is nothing as sweet as parenting my lovely daughter, but life has
been nothing but hell in every other area. We have all felt it. This
shouldn't be allowed for other people to have so much control over your own
happiness or sanity!
> We'll see what happens at the ARD. I did ask for the choir director to be
there. Of course, I requested that Kayleigh not attend as I'm sure it won't
be pretty. This man needs to know that he is messing with the wrong momma!
> Regards,
> Kim
> 
> --- On Tue, 12/15/09, Dr. S. Merchant <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Dr. S. Merchant <smerchant at vetmed.lsu.edu>
> Subject: RE: [blindkid] Need help
> To: "'Kim Cunningham'" <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
> Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 2:29 PM
> 
> 
> Hi Kim,
> 
> I feel your frustration and your tiredness. Too often we don't want to
talk about us adults just being tired of the fight. But... it has certainly
happen to me, many times, and I just make do. But... here we go again. I
would probably have a meeting with the school principal. An email does seem
to have gotten you anywhere. If you want to kill two birds with one stone
and you are up for it, I would request that the choir director be there
(unless you think it will get ugly and there will be a back lash against
Kayleigh) because choir director presence will be more confrontational. Then
I would change tact and ask the school principal for help with this matter -
make is a personal plea.. ask him to be discreet and you also need to voice
concern of a potential back lash. When push comes to shove (and it seems to
be there now), you need the principal on your side. So a personal meeting
will go a long way. If the principal is a chauvinist
> or has a tendency to be one, you may want to bring your husband - unless
it will get too confrontational if you do this.
> 
> Just my thoughts.
> 
> Sandy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kim Cunningham
> Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 10:04 AM
> To: Blindkid
> Subject: [blindkid] Need help
> 
> I am having a problem with my daughter's school and I need your help. I
have composed the letter below to send to all the school board members as
all of my other pleas for help have fell on deaf ears. I would appreciate
your opinions on how I should handle this matter. I have done nothing but
fight for a equal education all my daughter's life. She is a senior now and
I am at the point where I just want to throw the towel in and say "whatever
- I'm too tired to continue this!". I'm sorry the letter is long, but I
needed to state all the facts. My daughter actually gave a speech to the
school board two years ago about the problems she has had in receiving an
education as a blind student. Of course, this only led to bickering within
the board members and the school lawyer. Not much came of the ordeal....
> Please give me your feedback...I will not send the letter to the board
until I calm down.
> Regards,
> Kim Cunningham
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> I am so upset right now that I pray I can write a civilized email to
everyone. There has been an issue for the past 3 months or so, concerning my
daughter, Kayleigh receiving extra help to learn the dance routines for the
upcoming PHS school musical. Kayleigh tried out and won a part as a member
of a singing and dancing group. Kayleigh was very aware that her dancing
part of the audition didn’t go very well, but she was chosen nonetheless.
Kayleigh knew from previous small routines done within the choir that she
was going to have a hard time "visually" learning the routines since she is
partially blind. Kayleigh is very capable of learning the routines, but she
needs someone to give her more than visual instruction.
> We all know that Kayleigh is considered "special education" due to her
blindness and has IEP's as part of the ARD process. One of Kayleigh's IEP's
has been to advocate her needs. Kayleigh has done this repeatedly with
regard to looking for someone who could give her extra instruction to learn
her part. Kayleigh has asked for help from her case manager, Mrs. Harris
(numerous emails and conversations), and her choir teacher, Mr. Bready.
There have been four or five rehearsals so far and NO ONE has been
designated yet to help Kayleigh before, during, or after rehearsals!
Kayleigh says she feels "foolish" because she knows she isn't dancing and
moving like everyone else. Last week, Kayleigh asked Mr. Bready again for
help and was told by Mr. Bready to ask Shannon (a student and
choreographer/helper with the musical) to help her. The girls decided to
meet on Monday, Dec. 14 prior to the evening’s rehearsal for one on one
help. Of course, Shannon was
> not there after school yesterday and Kayleigh again received no help
during rehearsal; however she continued to try to do the best she could.
> I requested two weeks ago in an email to Mrs. Harris, to have an ARD to
discuss how we were going to assist Kayleigh with this problem as everyone
was ignoring both our requests for assistance. I emailed Mr. Bready asking
about Kayleigh getting help, and I also email Mr. Berger (school principal)
requesting assistance with this matter. NO ONE CONTACTED ME ON ANY ACTION!
NO ONE CALLED ME! NO ONE EMAILED ME!
> Now......now, I find out that the choir director, Mr. Bready had the
audacity to say during last night's rehearsal to Charles (the main
choreographer). "When are we going to start removing some of the bad
dancer's and specifically stated Kayleigh as being a bad dancer. This was
told to me by someone who heard this discussion. She is a trusted student
who knows my daughter and knows of Kayleigh's troubles in finding help.
Thank God, the main choreographer said that he didn't want to pull Kayleigh
as he could see she was trying to learn the routine. Ultimately, I don’t
know who will have the final say – the choreographer or the choir director.
How can Mr. Bready call himself a teacher? Kayleigh asked him for help and
now he wants to punish her for not learning what she asked help for? This
must have crushed Kayleigh as she learned of this as I was dropping her off
to school. What kind of school is Pearland High School? What kind of message
are
> you sending to my daughter? I am hurt and deeply angered that Kayleigh
heard this. She is already self-conscious about her dancing ability. I am
sure her spirit is deeply wounded.
> Kayleigh designed her whole schedule this year around the fact that she
wanted an opportunity to be in a musical. This was a goal of hers for the
year. She told the entire ARD committee last year of her plans. She tried
out for musical and made it. We were so proud of her. Kayleigh is so
distraught over the situation that I wished she would have never even tried.
It breaks my heart to see my daughter hurting.
> I'm not sure what my next step is concerning this matter. I do expect that
a dialog should happen with Kayleigh and let her know if she is a valued
part of the musical cast or if she is going to be removed. I don't want her
anguish to continue....
> Mr. Bready has been mainly non-compliant with Kayleigh's accommodations.
He often forgets to have her work enlarged and gives her no considerations
for her blindness. I enlarge many pieces of music (at my own cost) so she
will be sure to have it. I also paid to have the script printed in large
format and bound, again, so she was sure to have it. Kayleigh's
accommodations are meant for ALL classes. Kayleigh has not wanted me to say
anything to Mr. Bready about these issues because she wanted to try on her
own and is afraid that he will hold it against her if I complain. This has
moved out of her hands now and into mine as I won't take it any longer.
> I don’t know if this problem warrants a complaint against Kayleigh’s right
to participate as a student, or if this is a discrimination issue because of
her blindness, or simply a moral issue about attitudes of differently abled
people.
> I just thought that you should know how my daughter has been treated. If
this can happen to my daughter, how many others is this happening to? You
are the society that deems her as "disabled" when she is perfectly
able......
> Regards,
> Kim Cunningham
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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