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A blind girl has been banned from bringing her white walking stick to school because of "health and safety" reasons.
Lily-Grace Hooper, seven, suffered a stroke when she was just four days old, leaving her with virtually no sight.
But her school, Hambrook Primary School in Bristol, has told the youngster she can no longer use her cane because it could trip up teachers and other pupils.
A risk assessment completed on behalf of the school said the cane caused high risk to other people and that Lily-Grace should instead have "100 per cent" adult support at all times.
However, her mother is worried her daughter will become too dependent on having someone show her around - and said having a helper would set her daughter apart from other pupils.
Lily-Grace suffered a stroke days after she was born. As a result, she lost her 3D vision and became blind in her right eye. She can now only see lights and colours in her left.
Shortly before Christmas last year, she started using long wrapping paper rolls to help her get around the house.
She asked her mother for a stick and was given a long fibre-glass walking cane by Common Sense Cane, a charity for blind children earlier this year.
Lily-Grace started using the cane in school in April. Her mother, Kristy Hooper, said it had become "an extension of her daughter's arm" and that it was vital she was allowed to use it.
She added: "It is a disability, but I want to celebrate it and make sure she can become independent. When the school told me she can no longer bring her cane into school, I just thought this must be health and safety gone mad.
"She hasn't had any problems with any of the other students, and none of the parents have complained about it - in fact, they have all been very supportive.
"I don't understand where the school is coming from. Lily-Grace has taken to the cane very quickly, and she needs it as she travels to school, walks to the playground, or just being in school."
More at link. VERY sick and disgusting evil people in charge there!!!
No wonder american kids are so stupid. Look at the idiots running the education system.
So get her a seeing eye dog. Let's see them try denying that.
The first A in ADA stands for "Americans", so no.
But they don't seem to have an equivalent over there. I was only in London for a few days, but it doesn't seem that public transportation or a lot of buildings are handicapped accessible. It's something I noticed right away. I am not disabled, but my Dad was, and I work in public transportation and know what we have to do here in the U.S. This story is a shame. It's a school for Pete's sake.
How could it trip up the other teachers and students? Are they blind too? Maybe it would be a good "lesson" for people to learn how to be around blind people with canes.
How could it trip up the other teachers and students? Are they blind too? Maybe it would be a good "lesson" for people to learn how to be around blind people with canes.
People are truly oblivious; I have had people trip over my white cane because they couldn't be bothered to actually look where they were going. I have even had people run into me (I am in a wheelchair) and then act as if I should apologize to them (I am fairly obvious in a large purple wheelchair with a white blind stick and used to have an 80 pound golden retriever attached to my chair).
BTW, my carbon fiber white cane makes an excellent weapon as it really hurts if I whack someone with it (someone was far too close to me and would not move away).
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Maybe it would be a good "lesson" for people to learn how to be around blind people with canes.
