[blindkid] Music camp? Another alternative!

Mon Mar 10 03:01:29 UTC 2014

This happened to my daughter with a college prep camp at Colorado that NFB runs.They actually discriminated against my daughter after I made them aware of her special needs.  I flew her there all the way from Connecticut and only to have her return in 1.5 weeks later. They decided that the extra help she needed was too much for them.  So they got rid of her to make things easier for them. This is how alive and well discrimination is with people with disabilities.  If the NFB sponsored event went down like this, anything is possible.  

When my daughter attended the Florida School for the Blind for a year, even the visually impaired group of kids thought they were better than the completely blind students.  They referred to themselves at VI's, which meant they really weren't blind I guess.

The Carroll Center did the same thing to my daughter in Massachusetts. I've never met ruder people. She needed extra help so they excluded her from a program after meeting her saying they couldn't accommodate her because she needed extra help because of balance problems, and she badly needed to learn the skills.  

I'm not saying that there is no place out there that will really help people, but we may have to look long and hard.  I'm only being honest here because I believe knowledge will empower us, and we can't fix what we don't know about.  

After 21 years I'm disgusted with most organizations that claim they help the blind.  What they really mean is that they will help so long as they are only blind with nothing else wrong.  

>________________________________
> From: Crystal Schumacher <crystal_schu at hotmail.com>
>To: blindkid ask <blindkid at nfbnet.org> 
>Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2014 1:32 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Music camp?  Another alternative!
> 
>
>I just don't think it is right that they are advertising this camp at his public school and then depending on the type of disability, pick and choose who can attend. Why this camp? Because his Band teacher is teaching at it and many of his classmates will be attending. Everyone is talking about it. The teachers made it a topic at his IEP meeting, so public school is indeed involved in my opinion. How can public school allow advertisement of a private camp that would discriminate against students with disabilities? 
>
>What are the camps concerns? That he won't be able to navigate the camp, that he won't be able to participate in the recreational activities, and that the camp cannot meet his needs. In my opinion, they are afraid of blindness in general and have little understanding of what it means to be blind. I feel the camp would love for me to go away, that would make it easy for them. I understand that in order to get into the "club" I need to make them feel comfortable and play by their rules. Most importantly, Ben will be paving the way for another blind student in the years to come. As someone once said, it is he opportunity to be equal, and the right to be different. That's what were looking for.
>
>Crystal
>
>
>> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2014 12:35:21 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Music camp?  Another alternative!
>> 
>> Eric,
>> 
>> Or should we go head strong into that camp and change perspectives and
>> understandings? Thinking being an activist  for change is a great thing for
>> this young man to champion.
>> 
>> If he is clear about what he is up against, and he is clear that there are
>> supports in place to at least let him take that chance, pushing the issue
>> may be worth it in the end.
>> 
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> Founder and CEO
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> 
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
>> doing it."
>>  
>> Like Us on Facebook  LinkedIn  Twitter
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>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eric
>> Calhoun
>> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 11:30 PM
>> To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [blindkid] Music camp? Another alternative!
>> 
>> Crystal, Eric, someone who knows Braille Music.  Four words for this Music
>> Camp: Get, out, of, here!  They don't want Ben to be independent, don't
>> want him there without a chaperone?  Could we back away from this camp
>> altogether?
>> 
>> Eric
>> ..
>> 
>> ..
>> 
>> Sighted and blind people, Eric from Los Angeles.  Here's where you can
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