Posted on 01/26/2013 7:59:57 AM PST by servo1969
School districts that do not provide deaf students "a visual cue" alongside a starter pistol to enable them to compete on the track team or create basketball and tennis leagues for students in wheelchairs will be in violation of federal law and could lose government funding.
On Friday, the Obama administration declared disabled students "have the right" to "an equal opportunity to participate in their schools' extracurricular activities." In essence, the Obama administration established the right for disabled students to play wheelchair basketball or wheelchair tennis.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a guidance letter to schools, school districts, and universities informing them of the new mandate, which noted that a "2010 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that many students with disabilities are not afforded an equal opportunity to participate in athletics, and therefore may not have equitable access to the health and social benefits of athletic participation."
Seth Galanter, the Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, said the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. He specifically noted that the Act was a federal law “designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities (including traditional public schools and charter schools) that receive Federal financial assistance.”
If school districts and universities do not provide accommodations the OCR deems sufficient, they could lose federal funding. The mandate is being compared to Title IX, which deemed that no person should be excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, "denied the benefits of," or "subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I’m thinking of all the extreme possibilities now. How about those-in-a-coma golf or mentally-ill basketball or...?
Speaking as a man disabled since birth (pre-natal stroke affecting my left arm & leg) I put forth that this kind of gov’t initiative has nothing to do with “helping” people with disabilities - it is strictly about the exercise of power. Forcing the citizenry to do things which make no sense, waste money and may actually injure those it purports to help. Forcing people to do things against their will is just a way of showing who has power and who doesn’t.
Our fearless leaders and their minions exercise power as a revenge on a world they see as having snubbed, teased, or not played with them when they were kids. Our leaders were the kids always picked last to be on the team.
Our oldest son is high functioning autistic, he turns 16 tomorrow (where does the time go?) We have been blessed that we are in a area that has a very well coordinated Special Olympics program. He has competed in the local, regional and state level in basketball, swimming, bowling, soccer, and track & field. If the weather holds up next month, he will be able to ski in the Winter Games (last year he learned how to ski but competition was cancelled because of not enough snow)
He’s never really expressed interest in the school programs because of the opportunities he’s received in Special Olympics.
There’s a hard-to-find movie called “Between Time and Timbuktu” that mashes together a lot of Vonnegut stories, including a decent sized chunk of that one. It stars William Hickey in an early role, has Bob and Ray as the TV announcers. It’s a bit dated (a lot of early 70’s strangeness), but worth a watch, IMHO.
I’m not for government involvement, but I am for speaking up for kids.
I actually think getting the government involved might hurt the kids in the long run. People without disabilities resent being forced into helping.
My daughters go to a private Christian achool, and you would think they would be more helpful.
My son played football with a kid who had a mild form of Downs Syndrome. This kid played organized football from Pop Warner to High School JV. When he became a senior he was not allowed to play Varsity football by the school district. They cited injury concerns. It was bullshit. This kid was a good player. He started at FB and DE his junior year on JV. He was 3rd on team in tackles and had 4 QB sacks. The varsity coach was going to start him at DE. There are some kids like David Martinez that get screwed by not being allowed to play. I coached David for 4 years in Pop Warner, he was a coaches dream. David put out 100% everytime he stepped on the field. He never complained, he was a great team mate. Everyone who ever played with him or coached him loved the kid. The question is how do we fix it without going overboard like Obama has.
I am thinking a running back with a properly designed wheelchair on a regular team could be quite effective. (^;
Good thing the hard stuff, like the debt and budget, has been taken care of so fedzilla can concentrate on shit like this.
I use a wheelchair now, but I’ve walked with a limp all my life. We with some form of disabil;ity want to play sports and many have. We know sports are for the fitter people, in competition sports. But we might surprise smartasses like you ... I used my putter for a cane back when I won my club championship in Golf (late eighties). Played doubles on a couple of tennis teams in my younger days.
I can't wait to see a wheelchair cheerleader pyramid......................
“Paging “ Harrison Bergeron” its your turn to play”
Anyone reading this thread, and my reply, should go here:
http://www.wordfight.org/bnw/bnw-unit_packet.pdf
… to read the Kurt Vonnegut short story, “Harrison Bergeron”.
Won’t take but 15 minutes of your time.
I realize Mr. Vonnegut was a liberal, yet he “saw the future” on this one decades before it happened...
I can imagine the emotional strain on you or any other parent when they see their children excluded from certain activities due to physical or mental impairment.
There is not a single one of us that is not proficient at something that others seem to handle with ease.
The overriding question to me is, is it the community's responsibility to accommodate the deficiencies of every member and to fulfill their every wish?
Now it is the duty of the federal government to insure that no kid gets hurt feelings if an unfortunate reality prevents him from playing the sport of his choice. Sorry, ain't buying.
Did she not go? There's no reason she couldn't have just held her flute or maybe give her a clarinet to hold with her right hand for looks if she couldn't hold up her flute. Maybe a drum and use her right hand. There's no reason she had to play. Why couldn't she be one of the banner carriers? Simple enough to come up with something for her to participate. It's a guarantee that a dozen able bodied kids didn't play a note the whole route.
...it is strictly about the exercise of power
***
True. I suspect it’s also about helping the unions,as these students will surely need unionized aides to assist them in the athletic activities.
There are many kids who aren't in after school activities and who aren't disabled. There are many kids who are lonely and who aren't disabled.
I have no problem with a situation such as the one you descibed, where a common sense approach was used, the risk of injury to the child or others was no greater than with any other student, and little or no cost was invovled. However, like everything else the government does, this initiative is going to carry things to the extreme, requiring significant resources and oversight that the school districts cannot afford. Also, what will be the legal ramifications be if someone gets hurt?
I think that is what a lot of lawyers are waiting for....injuries. Probably have prospective parents of disabled kids salivating in anticipation.
I don’t know if it is responsibility, but I think that people have become selfish and not caring.
Why not have some activities that take everyone and are not competitive? She would love to do theater, singing, softball, basketball but she sucks at it. She just wants to participate and have fun, but once you get into high school the groups are all competitive.
It’s just difficult. No real answers.
I don’t know if it is responsibility, but I think that people have become selfish and not caring.
Why not have some activities that take everyone and are not competitive? She would love to do theater, singing, softball, basketball but she sucks at it. She just wants to participate and have fun, but once you get into high school the groups are all competitive.
It’s just difficult. No real answers.
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