Thursday, June 12, 2014

DISABLED AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

This week June 9-13, 2014, we saw a number of students graduating from high school and are getting ready for college. Two of those graduations were special, so special it bought tears to my eyes, in one occasion a male student with cerebral palsy walk for the first time to collect his certificate, it was so touching his dad cried openly. In the other occasion a principal and a female student surprised her classmates by walking across the field to collect her certificate, both students will be attending college in the fall.
 
These stories and many more like them were made possible "when the US congress enacted a veritable resolution in 1975, when it passed the Education for all Handicapped (disabled) Act" (Altshuler p25), this Act allowed disabled children to attend public schools.

I happen to worked with clients who are disabled and when I first heard that they went to high school and college, I was surprised because in Jamaica the disabled attend special schools and from their they are left to the mercy of the country. I never see a disabled person working in the country and one of the reason for me being so surprised. Now, all I think about is how can I help my country in helping the disabled? If it is even getting them in the work force.

2 comments:

  1. Eurica, this is an amazing and touching post. My sister in law,Vicki, has Down Syndrome and even though she isn't my blood sister I love her to death. She graduated from high school in 2010 and without hesitation she'll gladly remind you that she graduated high school. To her, graduating was the best thing to happen to her. Now she is showing interest in working. I believe that everyone has the opportunity to excel and build an educational background regardless if they are disabled or not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. People don't care about the mentally disabled citizens. I see many gifted Autistic children who does great and amazing things with the challenges they were presented with. But the mass couldn't care less about what happens to them.
    Example:
    "The Death no one cares about" http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-11/news/49035184_1_death-services-christina-philadelphia-medical-examiner
    A disabled woman wonders away from her caretaker and ends up dead in west Philly yet there were no follow up on what happened?
    However I did just saw the news briefly covering an organization who helps disabled students find employment. The expression on his face when he told his parents that he was just hired was awesome.
    We have to start looking at people as people and not just waste and burdens. What is missing from the majority is human compassion.

    ReplyDelete