[nfbmi-talk] integrated vs. segregated settings

[Lydia Schuck]

Hi listfriends,
As a parent I want to give my child the best education I can find and
afford.  For blind kids the best might mean a segregated setting for all
or part of the day.  I like the idea of inclusive education, the
"everyone together" movement, if it gives kids the best.  But I have seen
what mainstreaming has meant in Michigan.  There is no residential option
at all, and the whole continuum of options for blind kids has been
watered down as a result.  Excellent programs are available to a very few
students. 
I mention this "everyone together" inclusion model because we may
sometime find ourselves struggling to have any special separate services
for our kids, and being included may become a higher value than being
educated.

Lydia