Navigating grade school with paralysis
BrookeU
Posts: 169Moderator Moderator
in Grade School
If you attended grade school while living with paralysis or are the parent of a child who did, what were your experiences like? My brother's experience featured lots of uphill battles, so I'm curious to know how yours was.
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Dealing with school problems is a hassle parents and students shouldn't have to go up against. The first issue I faced after my son returned to school after his SCI was that all disabled and Special Ed students were required to unload (from the bus and cars) behind the school, next to the kitchen, the entrance was muddy and dirty. I complained to the school, nothing changed - So after a few months I did what I felt I had to, not just for my son but for all the kids with special needs - I contacted the ADA. One letter from the ADA to the school changed things! Now the disabled and special Ed students unload and load in the front of the school just like other students.
The other battle I had with the school was over Charlie's absentees - he missed more than the allowed 5 days. He had doctor appointments and illnesses and even illness I had prescribed meds to treat at home. I went to his doctors and got each of them to sign a "Blanket Excuse" form and each added their own notes to the form explaining that many times I could care for Charlie without the need to always bring him into the office to be seen. The principle wasn't to please about it but had to accept it.
Another issue I have with the school is that the only truly wheelchair accessible bathroom is located in the Special Ed class, wheelchair using students are required to go into the class room, go to the back of the room, through a set of double doors past the supply closet to reach the bathroom. The school has a 'handicap' bathroom stall in the regular bathroom but it's one of those that simply has a slightly wider door and higher toilet with a handrail, wheelchair is left facing the toilet with no option for an easy transfer.
The teachers and staff and students at his school are amazing, it's the principle and school board that seem to be clueless.
Our elementary school had a typical wooden playground that my brother could not enjoy at all. His parapro was supposed to ensure that he was having fun at recess, but my mom happened to show up during recess one day only to find that my brother and the parapro were sitting on the sidelines. My mom sent a handwritten letter to our governor at the time, requesting that the school be given money to build a more accessible playground. He obliged, using what I think was his discretionary funding (I think that's the term?), and sent the school a check for enough money to build this playground. It featured ramps, interactive games (like giant tic-tac-toe), and even a swing just for children who could not sit up on their own in a typical swing. The stories I could tell about my mom fighting for what's right...sometimes more feistily than this story.