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

Carol Castellano blindchildren at verizon.net
Wed Mar 24 20:15:19 UTC 2010 

Doreen,

I still can't understand why they can't see that another tool in our 
children's toolbox is a GOOD thing.  And the thing about the yellow 
crayon...so she should try harder to see a color she can't 
see????  These people are cruel!

Carol

At 04:00 PM 3/22/2010, you wrote:
>I am resending this as I am not sure it went the first time.
>  Doreen
>http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF
>
>
>
>----- Forwarded Message ----
>From: Doreen Franklin <doreenproverbs3 at bellsouth.net>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" 
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Mon, March 22, 2010 10:05:32 AM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Why Do You Want to Make that Child Blind?
>
>
>Carol and others,
>I have printed your speech and may use it with our district. 
>Unfortunately, we are one of the ones in limbo because the district 
>does not feel our daughter needs cane or braille. I will be teaching 
>her Braille, but the big argument now is O&M services; she "can't" 
>even get protective techniques because O&M is not indicated for her 
>-- this is per the district!   We just had an independent eval thru 
>the district (IEE) and the evaluator saw many things my hubby and I 
>have been seeing ... now the fight will be to get the district to 
>"see" things according to the eval! And that will not be easy here! 
>I just cannot think of another 13 yrs of arguing for services for 
>our daughter! (She is going into kindergarten and I am very afraid 
>she will have to flunk first to get further services). Even 
>something as simple as changing a yellow crayon for a different one 
>is an argument that is now being considered by our district! (She 
>can't see yellow and advocates
>  for a different color and she gets "try your best" ... how is that 
> even on the same level as her sighted peers???? I have carried the 
> not being able to see without contrast and without depth perception 
> to walking down bus stairs .... what happens when she is 
> "encouraged" by teacher to walk down the stairs and falls and 
> breaks something - the fear she will have is just freaking me out! 
> But this is what we have to deal with in our district!
>
>And just as an fyi .... when I mention to other parents of sighted 
>children that our daughter cannot have Braille or cane, they look at 
>me like I have 5 heads -- and ask WHY? I have no reason except that 
>our district is totally screwed up and does not know what they are 
>doing! They are going by the outlook of the TVI/O&M who is legally 
>blind himself who does not use his cane and struggles with a 
>monocular! Since he is the "expert" our children in our district 
>have to abide by what HIS decision is that is passed to the district 
>.... it is ridiculous and our kids are suffering because of it! And 
>then we've heard the excuse "the PROFESSIONALS" don't see the need 
>.... if you would open your head to at least "consider" a cane and 
>Braille for our kids, you might just see what us "PROFESSIONAL 
>PARENTS" are seeing at home with our kids!
>
>Sorry to rant .... my blood boils because of all of this! Carol's 
>presentation in Detroit was awesome ... and my mouth just fell to 
>the floor as I know there are tons of parents in the same position 
>as she describes!
>
>Have a great day!
>  Doreen
>http://www.raceforindependence.org/goto/TorrieF
>
>
>
>
>________________________________
>From: Carol Castellano <blindchildren at verizon.net>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" 
><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Mon, March 22, 2010 7:44:13 AM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Why Do You Want to Make that Child Blind?
>
>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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>
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Carol Castellano, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
973-377-0976
carol_castellano at verizon.net
www.nfb.org/nopbc

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