I know that there will be immediate discussion from many who will say that
their students ARE embraced at their schools; however, I have worked in
several schools and in two different states where this is NOT the case; I am
sure that there are others who will agree that thousands of children are not
embraced by education.
Many students are not given equal access and are often considered incapable
of succeeding because they are not given the opportunity to become
independent and productive members of society. This becomes a
Catch-22---they can't succeed because they haven't been given the resources
and they haven't been given the resources because they can't succeed (or so
the mind-set goes).
The fact that a message of placing the most expensive equipment with the
most-abled was documented on a national television program, hit home with me
because I then realized that I was not the only educator who has / had faced
discrimination when it came to providing students with the technology they
needed to access materials (or to struggle with the issue of copyright when
a lesson must be taught and yet, no one would help me resolve the issue of
"WHERE CAN I GET THESE MATERIALS?!") There is no way out...there is no
relief given...or so many believe.
Many educators give up AND violate copyright because they can't get the
support they need (or the funding that is required) to make materials
accessible to their students. Many DO make unauthorized taped copies of
textbooks, books in the library, or workbooks. Many enlarge textbooks,
workbooks, or pictures so that students can have equal access to materials
(again and again and again, year after year in the same classrooms because
administrators won't buy new materials in formats necessary for
instruction!) Many teachers don't care if they get caught because their
defense is "fair use" and if that doesn't work, they can claim "incompetence
at the administrative levels--failure to provide revenues for the
disabled"---i.e., discrimination. However, you don't hear much about
discrimination within the classroom by the disabled or their parents because
it usually takes a parent who understands WHAT is available and WHAT should
be done, in order to get the resources to their child.
When braille and large print materials cost 2-4 times the normal price of
regular print ($150 for one textbook in large print or thousands of dollars
for a braille math or chemistry textbook), it's easy to ignore the
issue...side-step the issue....or let it "lie on someone's desk" all
semester until the item is no longer needed rather than buying it when it
was requested (usually the semester earlier!)
I've seen the tactics...I've watched the games. It's all about the money
and it's all about "getting THEM through the system" at the least amount of
cost possible. It is discrimination and it's wrong. But again, the small
group of educators who make up the voices and minds of the special education
student and their parents do not have strength to take on the "powers that
be" AND teach their children / students.
Many of these individuals, including the parents (who are often the lowest
socio-economic groups within the schools), do not have the energy or
resources (or even the knowledge of what is available or should be
available to their child) to take on these issues alone. When faced with
the insurmountable odds of dealing with students / children with handicaps,
as well as the issues thrown at them by schools that require "results"
without "funding", and the day-to-day survival needs, it's a wonder that we
even have ADA laws now.
Again, this is a cycle that requires education of the parents (what does my
child need and what does the law require), education of the administration
(what does the student need and how can we provide this--what will it
take--what are our responsibilities), and education of the teachers (what
are my rights? what can I do to facilitate a better understanding for the
parent of their rights and their child's rights? how can I educate
others?).
My favorite job (aside from being a librarian, of course) was that of a
visual itinerant teacher in the public schools. I WAS the student's
advocate and I was the student's voice. I WAS the parent's advocate and I
"lit the fire" to make the parent demand what they were entitled to have
regarding the ADA laws. Many of my parents did not realize what their child
was entitled to and many did not know their rights. Most were timid in IEP
meetings and many followed instructions that often were in favor of the
school district and the administration rather than the classroom teacher,
the student or the parent. My view was that I would NOT let these people
(districts, administrators, etc.) take advantage of the disabled within the
public education setting.
I may not have helped every student in every situation, but overall, I had
more parents and teachers who were happy with my services when I left than
they were before I arrived. I believe advocacy is the first step and when
there are true advocates who have nothing at risk when they step into an IEP
meeting with a parent and child, but can voice the concerns of the parent /
child and help to negotiate on their behalf, THEN we can move forward
without ever questioning if the money for educational technology and
services have been given to the "right individual." We will know that it
has.
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Braxton" <barbara@austarmetro.com.au>
To: "sbrisco" <sbrisco021@charter.net>; "LM_NET" <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 3:12 PM
Subject: RE: Copyright question - change of format
> Dear Shonda
> You wrote ...
>
> "it's always amazing to me that when
> these groups stand up for equal rights, they are often viewed as being
> "weird" or "out there" when compared to the regular classroom educators."
>
> "In most schools, the special education student is "tolerated"...in a few,
> very exceptional schools, the special education student is embraced"
>
> All I can say is that I am glad I live here where such narrow-minded
> thinking of "should we invest more money
> in our least productive student when we can invest it in our most
productive
> student instead?" would land the thinker in the Anti-Discrimination Court.
> We have had cases where parents have wanted their disabled students to
> attend a particular school (usually independent) and when refused because
of
> lack of physical access or lack of suitably qualified staff, the school
has
> had to change its structure.
>
> I think I like the unspoken rule of Australians which is "a fair go for
> everyone" and it is hard to imagine living and working in a place where
that
> is not the case. And I am more than proud to be a member of a "very
> exceptional school" that embraces our not-so-able (including staff) but in
> this country my school is just like any other really.
>
> Inclusivity is an official, top-level priority of all our education
> departments now, and they are even putting their money where their mouths
> are so there is appropriate staffing to support both student and teacher.
> With a general election here on October 9, education is equal with health
as
> the #1 issue so although teachers themselves don't necessarily have a lot
of
> clout, it is the parents of children who go to, or are about to go to,
> school who are the biggest percentage of voters so the politicians must
have
> policies which appeal to them.
>
> As yet I haven't had a response to my email to the copyright authorities
(it
> is the weekend) but if I discover that we are not allowed to change
formats
> to assist our students then I will be leading the agitation for change
> because at least there is a possibility of success.
> Barbara
>
>
> Barbara Braxton
> Teacher Librarian
> Palmerston District Primary School
> PALMERSTON ACT 2913
> AUSTRALIA
>
> T. 02 6205 6162
> F. 02 6205 7242
> E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
> W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
> "Together, we learn from each other."
>
>
>
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