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The newsletter for people who
care for children with
disabilities
Discrimination at School?
September 2010
My sons and I went to park the other day and there were a bunch of kids on the monkey bars. One little girl asked my boys if they wanted to play. A few of the kids said they didn't want my kids to play because Jack was retarded. I could feel my blood begin to boil because these children were only 7 or 8 years old but had already formed an opinion about Jack because of his appearance. I didn't say a word; instead I let the whole thing play out in front of me. I'm so glad I did! One little boy corrected the children who said Jack was retarded, he said, "no he isn't, he's disabled but he's still a kid like us." Within the next few minutes, Jack was showing them how good he was on the monkey bars and was even showing off with a few flips! They all played together the rest of the afternoon.
Discrimination comes in all forms. I know we all probably face challenges like this everyday but this got me thinking about the discrimination that goes on in our schools.
Why is the use of Assistive Technology still limited to only a few kids—kids who have no alternatives because of a physical disability, or kids with learning disabilities so severe that they have failed time and time again? Some administrators and educators have a wrong perception about AT, just like a few of those kids had a wrong perception about what Jack could do on those monkey bars. I challenge you to get the educators and administrators in your school district excited about the opportunities that widespread, unrestricted use of assistive technology can provide!
Let's face it, as adults (many of us in the working-world) WE USE assistive technologies all the time—spellcheckers, calculators, on-line utilities, etc. Those things make us faster and more efficient. Why does AT then carry such a stigma in the education environment? How many kids could improve their performance and productivity if they were given unrestricted access to tools that supplement skill deficits that may never get "fixed"? Just think, if you worked in a place that had only one email or Internet account, would anyone be emailing or doing research on the web?
Let's start this year with greater expectations and high hopes that AT can be more available and accepted!
Til next time,
Roberta
rcostion@donjohnston.com
PS. Did you know that October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month? Check out the Buddy Walk site. You can find a Buddy Walk near you if you are interested. There are 5 in Illinois alone! Click on the Walkers link to find out more and read great stories.
Here are some recent photos of Jack and Jase.
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| Jack is all set for school! |
Jack & Jase are best buds. |
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