[blindkid] Street crossing

Penny Duffy pennyduffy at gmail.com
Fri May 18 05:12:59 UTC 2012


This is the best discussion ever :) Thank you everyone.

I think we need to have a workshop titled "Why incasing your child (blind
or sighted) in bubble wrap isn't going to keep them safe"

Abby has some classmates that are still walked to the classroom every
single day. They are 8. Abby is the only blind child at her school.
Learning independence is an important part of childhood.

-Penny
 On May 17, 2012 11:50 PM, "Arielle Silverman" <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Right on. And at the risk of sounding cliche, Will a blind kid get a
> bus stopping in front of his house to take him to college? How about
> grad school? Or a job?
> Arielle
>
> On 5/17/12, Carol Castellano <carol_castellano at verizon.net> wrote:
> > Chantel,
> >
> > Glad you shared this story.  Virtually every time we or the school is
> > ready to provide an accommodation, there is a skill that the child
> > can learn instead that would take care of the situation.
> >
> > Carol
> >
> > Carol Castellano
> > President, Parents of Blind Children-NJ
> > Director of Programs
> > National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
> > 973-377-0976
> > carol_castellano at verizon.net
> > www.blindchildren.org
> > www.nopbc.org
> >
> > At 03:16 PM 5/17/2012, you wrote:
> >>Drake is finishing 2nd grade and this year he had the goal of being
> >>able to  safely  cross a low traffic residential street.   He is
> >>able to do it 75% of the time - he indicates when it is safe and of
> >>course his O&M instructor doesn't let him cross if a car is coming -
> >>so we are continuing with this goal.  Once he accomplished the goal,
> >>we will change it to crossing high traffic residential street.
> >>
> >>My sighted daughter began middle school this year and has to walk
> >>two blocks and cross two high traffic residential streets to get to
> >>the bus stop.  Drake who just finished 2nd grade began expressing
> >>concern about how he was going to find the bus stop and find his
> >>house when it came his turn to ride the bus to middle school.  I
> >>assured him that his O&M instructor would teach him the skills so he
> >>could do it.
> >>
> >>Although I told Drake he would ready to independently walk to/from
> >>the bus stop I didn't believe it.  His concerns got me thinking how
> >>I would argue the district must accommodate Drake by having the bus
> >>stop in front of our house.  I would refuse the special education
> >>bus because the travel time on the regular education bus is
> >>important social time with his friends so they would simply have to
> >>make our house his bus stop.
> >>
> >>But then it dawned on me I was preparing for the WRONG
> >>fight.  Instead of worrying about the school accommodating him I
> >>should be focused on ensuring my blind child can independently walk
> >>to the bus stop.   I realized I need to make sure his O&M instructor
> >>is teaching him the proper techniques so when the time comes for him
> >>to walk to the middle school bus stop he will be able to do so just
> >>as his sighted peers are able and expected to do so.   It really
> >>brought home how important good O&M training is to our kids.
> >>
> >>Chantel
> >>
> >>Chantel L. Alberhasky, Esq
> >>419 Boonville Avenue
> >>Springfield, MO 65806
> >>417.865.4444
> >>
> >>The Missouri Bar Disciplinary Counsel requires all Missouri
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> >>communications by improperly accessingyour computer or my computer
> >>or even some computer unconnected to eitherof us which the e-mail
> >>passed through. I am communicating to you viae-mail because you have
> >>consented to receive communications via thismedium. If you change
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> >>fashion, please let me know AT ONCE.
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________
> >>  >> street crossings I needed to do for this route were merely
> >> residential
> >> >
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> >
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