Students take part in Disability day in DC
By LeAnne Akin
news@barrowcountynews.com
March 17, 2009 7:40 a.m.
"Hear our voice, Respect our choice!" and "My body, my choice where I want to live" were among signs articulating the sentiment of the 2,000 Georgians gathered at the State Capitol Feb. 25 to heighten public awareness and to communicate support to legislators for increased services for people with disabilities. Disability Day at the Capitol was attended by a number of Barrow Countians, including students from Apalachee High School. The occasion provided a chance for Partners, general education students partnering with special education students, to learn about the Olmstead decision, a 1999 victory in the judicial system which paved the way for Americans with disabilities to be a part of community life rather than remaining institutionalized. The presentations informed about the 10-year anniversary of the Olmstead decision. Georgia native Lois Curtis, the surviving plaintiff in that U.S. Supreme Court case, was involved in the event.
Partners for Disability Day at the Capitol event
For Apalachee High School students participating in Disability Day at the Capitol, it was a chance to visit the gold-domed State Capitol for the first time, while it was a repeat performance for others. According to Amy St. Clair, the visit was a real eye-opener for the general education students to see the limitations placed on fellow students in special education and on adults with disabilities. The presentations informed about the 10-year anniversary of the Olmstead decision. Georgia native Lois Curtis, the surviving plaintiff in that U.S. Supreme Court case, was involved in the event. It was that 1999 victory in the judicial system which paved the way for Americans with disabilities to be a part of community life rather than remaining institutionalized.
"I am glad to see them get that out of it, too," said St. Clair. Kristin Aldridge and Dennis Whitley were two of the general education students attending. Aldridge has been involved with Partners since her freshman year and had a special education insignia on her class ring. Whitley got active last year. Both are interested in pursuing careers as special education teachers with Whitley hoping to also be a coach. For Joseph Emmett, eating at the Varsity was a real treat as he ordered up onion rings, a hamburger and Diet Coke while it was a hamburger, fries and sweet tea for Kerri Powell. Both Emmett and Powell had been to the Disability Day at the Capitol before but for Aldridge and Whitley, the experience reinforced the need for advocacy on behalf of those with disabilities. "We need to spread the word that we need to do more to see that [people with disabilities] are better treated," said Aldridge and Whitley. "They really are treated differently and have it a lot harder than they should," said Whitley. "They don’t get treated equal and I know I wouldn’t like it if I was in their situation." For Aldridge, exercising one’s right to vote is an important part of seeing possible change happen. "I’ll certainly be voting," said Aldridge. "We have a good group," said St. Clair of the Partners program which teams the special education students with general education students to share social opportunities and involvement in activities including ball games. Tailgating before football games, bowling, a Valentine’s dance, a Christmas social with Winder-Barrow High School students and other activities are held. A monthly meeting also bonds the students together as friends. It is all about learning that the differences are not that important in the scheme of things and sharing experiences which make students more alike than different. A mutual respect and admiration can be developed as each see the obstacles each other must overcome. For Powell, who has some back pain when standing for long periods of time, the length of the speeches proved challenging as did the number of steps leading into the Capitol. More ramps would make the state building more user-friendly to those with disabilities, she said. "Going through security was kind of scary," said Powell. Wider doors are also needed, noted Emmett.
The group signed their name to the large banner which was to be displayed. Powell is one of the school’s Special Olympics athletes who competed in snow skiing in Boone, N.C., last year. Her first time as a skier, she took fifth place. A number of cameras were taken along for the day with students making their pictures made with the statue of Richard B. Russell and with one of the speakers, Brad Cohen, author of "Front of the Class: House Tourette Syndome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had." That book was the subject of a 2008 CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. It was Brad’s speech which several found the most inspiring. He talked about the opportunities he didn’t have because of the lack of understanding about his Tourette Syndrome. "I would recommend that other students go along on this trip," said Aldridge.
RELATED CONTENT
State seeks input on special education; Comment sought on federal grants application The Georgia Department of Education has posted its annual application for federal grants that assist with the education of students with disabilities and will be seeking public comment on the application throughout April. In Fiscal Year 2009, school systems in Georgia received more than $300 million in grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and is anticipating another $310 million in IDEA funds through the federal stimulus package. In order to continue to receive that funding, the state must post its Annual State Application for IDEA Grants Funds for public review for 60 days. The state must also have a 30-day public comment window. Georgia’s Annual State Application for IDEA Grant Funds has been posted on the GaDOE’s website at this location:
http://www.gadoe.org/ci_exceptional.aspx?PageReq=CIEXCIdea
The public comment period will run from April 1 through April 30. Written comments should be sent to:
Nancy O’Hara
Director Division for Special Education Services
1870 Twin Towers East Atlanta, GA 30334
Comments can be e-mailed to: nohara@doe.k12.ga.us
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Loading ...
User Comments
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.