It’s time for another reblog!
On this blog, I’ve talked about the benefits of disability friendship for adults. Today’s post talks about the benefits of disability friendship for children and teens.
Like this blogger, I was one of the “lucky ones” in that I received a typical education, but also spent time around other kids who shared my disability. These connections were first arranged by my assigned teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), who organized activities for the blind students in our school district. Later, our local blindness agency in my hometown set up a program for blind school-age children around the city. The program ran on weekends and during summers, allowing us to attend our neighborhood schools and still spend time together.
These programs need an investment of resources and labor to run well, but as the below post points out so eloquently, they are worth it.
In the Age of Mainstreaming, Being with Other Disabled Folks is Still Important
In the Age of Mainstreaming, Being with Other Disabled Folks is Still Important
I agree having both disabled and non disabled friends is so important. It teaches kids that different is ok. It also is good for socialising. xx
when it comes to people who are blind or have low vision, in the town I live there weren’t many children who were blind back when I was a child. The school for the blind was 2 and a half hours drive from where I currently live and sadly this school for the blind is closed and has been closed for the past almost 8 years. When I was born the eye doctor I was seeing at the time said main stream schooling would be beneficial for me as the special education school for children with disabilities often had students with other disabilities attending it. At the primary school then secondary schools I subsequently attended there were a few students with disabilities namely downs syndrome and cerebral palsy that I knew of then. I have a few blind friends around, 3 children in the one family though they live out of town, there are a couple of others who are blind but still have sight