[blindkid] Why Do You Want to Make that Child Blind?

[Carol Castellano]

Hi Marie (yes, you may call me Carol!),

Thanks for the kind words.  I feel really strongly about the 
subject--as do many Federation members--as I truly get call after 
call from parents whose children are kept from learning the very 
skills that would enable them to lead independent lives.  Just a few 
days ago, there was another such situation.  The child is being 
taught braille now--after "flunkiing" kindergarten--but the parents 
have been told no, he doesn't need a cane.  You can predict what is 
going to happen.  He is already using his foot as a feeler on stairs 
and when it is bright or dark in a room or outside.  He will reach 
the age that most kids learn to cross streets and that will be 
delayed.  He will become a pre-adolescent and will not be able to go 
out at night with friends--he'll be embarrassed because he can't walk 
at night independently and believe me, a bunch of boys will not want 
a guy holding onto them all evening.  And then someone will say, gee, 
maybe he ought to have a cane.  He'll be thirteen or fourteen or 
fifteen and guess what, shocking, he won't want to have anything to 
do with one.    then the "experts" will tell us, nope, kids just 
don't like canes.

Ugh.

Carol

Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nfb.org/nopbc

At 11:30 AM 3/21/2010, you wrote:
>Carol (may I call you Carol?) I loved your article "Why do you want 
>to make that child blind?" It says so much and spoke to my own 
>wondering about how much to emphasize Jack's legal blindness. I am 
>going to get my husband to read it too. I would also like to copy it 
>and distribute it to every member of our IEP team. I'll talk to my 
>husband after he reads it and see what he thinks.
>Moms and Dads out there go read the article. It's a fresh 
>perspective and likely not the way provided to you by most people you know.
>In fact, Carol, is there an online link to this article someplace? 
>I'd love to point my blog readers to it as well.
>Marie (mother of Jack, 4 years old with Apert Syndrome)
>http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com
>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
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