[blindkid] [blparent] Urgent: please sign this petition to help a blind kid!

Arielle Silverman arielle71 at gmail.com
Tue Oct 30 16:00:52 UTC 2012


It sounds like BCLC is a private preschool that does not provide
education beyond the age of 6. It also sounds like BCLC is a day
school so Nathan would not need to be separated from his family. I
attended a similar private preschool in Arizona  and by the time I was
ready to start in mainstreamed kindergarten, I could read and write
Grade 2 Braille fluently  and knew the basics  of cane travel. Because
of this I needed very little additional support as a mainstreamed
blind student, beyond the transcription of my materials and regular
O&M. It was undoubtedly the best choice my parents could have made
regarding my early education. My parents paid for my admission to the
school out of their own pockets, although I believe the school
charges on a sliding scale or a donation basis, so low-income families
can send their kids without the sponsorship of their local school
district. I don't think my parents had any dealings with our school
district at all until I was ready to start kindergarten. They dealt
directly with the preschool (Foundation for Blind Children). Perhaps
BCLC does not allow for payment on  a sliding scale? I do think that
the school district should pay, but if they continue to refuse, I hope
that the parents can find some other way to send  Nathan to BCLC
before he ages out and misses the opportunity for quality Braille
instruction in a local setting (i.e. not having to board at a school
for the blind in elementary school years).
Best,
Arielle

On 10/30/12, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com> wrote:
> Beth,
>
> It sounds as though you are moving in the right direction by trying to
> contact people in your area.  Thank you for your patience
> in dealing with the various responses.  We have seen cases on our lists and
> on others where people have forwarded various requests
> for help that were either long past the critical time for action or are even
> simply ways of collecting e-mail addresses for other
> purposes.  While I understand it is not the case with this petition, I am
> glad to see that other avenues are being followed such
> as contacting your NFB affilliate and the state's parents division.  While
> signing a petition like this may have some influence,
> it isn't likely that the school district is going to be influenced that much
> by people who don't know the child or even what is
> commonly done in California.  I am guessing that our national office would
> start by trying to get you in touch with people in the
> child's area who would have the most knowledge of how best to bring pressure
> to make something happen, and it sounds like you are
> already doing that.
>
> It is hard for me to know what is the best course of action from what has
> been supplied to document this.  I do not know much
> about the state school for the blind nor do I know much about the private
> school.  I also don't know what may exist in his school
> district for Early Childhood Family Education.  I am not even sure I'm ready
> to assume that he needs a totally separate learning
> environment if it were to mean taking him out of his home for example.  I
> have not seen the location of the schools discussed,
> although there has been some written on a number of lists and I may have
> just missed that.  In short, there are not enough details
> for me to be sure that I am really doing Nathan a favor by signing the
> petition, but there are enough details for me to know that
> there needs to be involvement from people in the area to sort it all out and
> help him get the services he needs.
>
> From what I know of local school districts, I have no problem believing they
> are being uncooperative, and to not to pay for
> something simply because they have not paid before even though they have
> paid for other similar services to another entity is
> ridiculous.  It seems very unlikely that a decision made for that reason,
> especially if we're talking about paying another state
> entity, could stand up if pressure is brought upon them in the right way,
> unless there are other issues about which we are not
> familiar.  If you don't hear anything as a result of the messages you have
> left, it could be that some of us on these lists might
> be able to help you get in contact with the right people.  Please remember
> that most of us who work at the state and local levels
> are not paid for what we do but are volunteers who think these issues are
> very important.  Therefore, please be patient if you
> don't get an immediate response, but let us help if you feel you are waiting
> too long.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:53:37 -0700, Beth Koenig wrote:
>
>>The school district won't pay for him to go. The parents could pay
>>privately to send him but the school district is already paying for
>>other children to go to BCLC. BCLC is a private preschool for the
>>blind not a state school.
>>The NFB is closed because of Hurricane Sandy. I have left messages for
>>the state affiliate and California parents of blind children.
>>Thanks,
>>Beth Koenig
>>bethko at gmail.com
>>(714) 699-DEAF (3323)
>>Director of Deaf Blind Services
>>Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
>>1525 Durant Street 303
>>Santa Ana, CA 92706
>>http://www.deafadvocacy.org
>>Health, safety, and productivity are the cornerstones of independence.
>>At the Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center we provide the training and
>>services necessary for the deaf and disabled to achieve equality and
>>independence in all areas of life.
>
>
>>On Mon, Oct 29, 2012 at 6:16 PM, Veronica Smith <madison_tewe at spinn.net>
>> wrote:
>>> Before I sign anything I need to know, is there someone saying he cannot
>>> attend?  What state does he live in?  In NM, anyone who qualified can go
>>> there.  So I'm a little confused here.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Beth
>>> Koenig
>>> Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2012 11:12 PM
>>> To: Beth Koenig
>>> Subject: [blparent] Urgent: please sign this petition to help a blind
>>> kid!
>>>
>>> I am forwarding this petition at the request of the parents, please
>>> excuse
>>> the cross posting.
>>>
>>>  Click to view this email in a
>>> browser<http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/999455/fb8e0d0ade/289385751/f4b9a
>>> 7f060/>
>>>   [image: whiteboard_top.jpg]   [image: spacer.gif]  [image: spacer.gif]
>>> Support Sending Nathan to the Preschool School for the Blind!
>>>      Hi Supporter,
>>>
>>> Nathan is a blind four year old. We are working with Nathan''s family to
>>> help make sure that he receives the training that he needs to succeed in
>>> school and grow up to be a competent adult. Nathan has every hope of
>>> being
>>> able to be mainstreamed. However, in order to give him the foundation to
>>> succeed he first needs to learn the adaptive techniques of the blind. He
>>> also has to learn things like how to learn over a bowl, make friends, and
>>> so
>>> many other things that we take for granted every day.
>>>
>>> Please go sign this
>>> petition<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?OrangeCountyDeafAdvo/fb8e0d0ade/f4b9a7f060/
>>> 03005f538c>to
>>> send Nathan to the Preschool to the Blind so he can get the best
>>> foundation
>>> possible.
>>>
>>> *Click Here to
>>> Sign<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?OrangeCountyDeafAdvo/fb8e0d0ade/f4b9a7f060/8ceb
>>> c8056c>
>>> *
>>>
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>> Beth Koenig
>>> Executive Director
>>> Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center
>>>
>>>     [image: note_top.gif]
>>> [image: Picture of young Nathan]
>>>    [image: note_bottom.gif]   [image: spacer.gif]   [image:
>>> spacer.gif]  [image:
>>> spacer.gif]   [image: whiteboard_bottom.jpg]
>>> _______________________________________________
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>
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