As the father of a special needs child who is currently bound to a wheelchair, I wanted to know and understand more about universally accessible playgrounds in Colorado Springs, CO. I found, however, there is only one universal/handicap useable playground in Colorado Springs. Even that one playground is not truly accessible as it utilizes wood chips as ground covering which makes wheelchair usage very difficult. The only reason it exists is due exclusively to private funding. I decided to do some research into the matter. I started by researching from a financial standpoint, what the cost difference is between a traditional playground set and a universal playground. I will follow that up by talking with, and reading information from, parents of special needs children to gain perspective. Next, I plan to contact several local attorneys, advocates, and government officials. I also want to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act: Standards for Accessible Design. The following are the findings of the research. The cost of building a universal playground according to Kurt Schroeder, (Park Operations & Development Manager for Colorado Springs, CO) is significant enough to limit what the city is able to do on its current budget. Working within the confines of the budget has made the building of universal playgrounds, and making the changes and improvements to existing playgrounds a very difficult task. Currently the city of Colorado Springs has $750,000 budgeted toward playgrounds. $250,000 of that is just in the surfacing of the playgrounds. An additional $150,000 is budgeted toward improvements of existing playgrounds. Mr. Schroeder stated that the surfacing of the playgrounds is the largest differential expense compared to th... ... middle of paper ... ... Vaughn. When the School Says No, How to Get the Yes!: Securing Special Education Services for Your Child. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2014. Print. Lavin, Judith Loseff. Special Kids Need Special Parents: A Resource for Parents of Children With Special Needs. New York: Berkley, 2001. Print. McWilliam, P. J., and Donald B. Bailey. "Case 11: The Disney Connection.” Working Together with Children and Families: Case Studies In Early Intervention. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub., 1993. 99+. Print. Potok, Andrew. A Matter of Dignity: Changing the Lives of the Disabled. New York: Bantam, 2002. Print. Schroeder, Kurt. "Parks in Colorado Springs." Telephone interview. 15 Apr. 2014. 4:30pm. The Americans with Disabilities Act. Washington, D.C.?: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Coordination and Review Section, 1991. Print.
According to the articles "Tear Down the Swing Sets" by John Tierney and "Can a Playground Be Too Safe" by Nicholas Day many changes have been done to playground designs for many reasons like creative risks, lawsuits, and child safety. Playgrounds used to be fun, exciting and riskful but now due to playground design they are safe, yet boring.
In her article “Unspeakable Conversations” author Harriet McBryde Johnson took time to inform and familiarize her readers with the details and limitations placed upon her by her disability. In her article she walked her readers through her morning routine. She told them about the assistance she needs in the morning from transferring from bed to wheelchair, to morning stretches, to bathing, to dressing, to braiding her hair. She does this not to evoke pity but to give her readers a glimpse into her world. She wants her readers to know that the quality of a disabled person’s life relies solely on another’s willingness to assist. Because those with disabilities need assistance they are often viewed as burdens. Therefore, they see themselves as
What comes into one’s mind when they are asked to consider physical disabilities? Pity and embarrassment, or hope and encouragement? Perhaps a mix between the two contrasting emotions? The average, able-bodied person must have a different perspective than a handicapped person, on the quality of life of a physically disabled person. Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, and Harriet McBryde Johnson are three authors who shared their experiences as physically handicapped adults. Although the three authors wrote different pieces, all three essays demonstrate the frustrations, struggles, contemplations, and triumphs from a disabled person’s point of view and are aimed at a reader with no physical disability.
In the book, The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney’s thesis is that there is more to people than their disabilities, it is not restricting nor is it shameful but infact it is beautiful in its own way. With a plan to travel the United States, Mooney decides to travel in a Short bus with intentions of collecting experiences from people who have overcome--or not overcome--being labeled disabled or abnormal. In this Mooney reinvents this concept that normal people suck; that a simple small message of “you’re not normal” could have a destructive and deteriorating effect. With an idea of what disabilities are, Mooney’s trip gives light to disabilities even he was not prepared to face, that he feared.
As mentioned previously, the chances of becoming disabled over one’s lifetime are high, yet disabled people remain stigmatized, ostracized, and often stared upon. Assistant Professor of English at Western Illinois University, Mark Mossman shares his personal experience as a kidney transplant patient and single-leg amputee through a written narrative which he hopes will “constitute the groundwork through which disabled persons attempt to make themselves, to claim personhood or humanity” while simultaneously exploiting the “palpable tension that surrounds the visibly disabled body” (646). While he identifies the need for those with limitations to “make themselves” or “claim personhood or humanity,” Siebers describes their desires in greater detail. He suggests people with
Hehir, T. (2009). New directions in special education: Eliminating ableism in policy and practice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
‘“Now it’s my turn to make it better for generations that come after, which is why I’ve become, involved in disabilities issues”’ (Open University, 2016a).
The memoir My Body Politic is an inspirational first person framework by Simi Linton. Her powerful stories give the reader a strong understanding on disability studies as well as the challenges Simi endured as she lived through a difficult time period for someone having a disability. When she became disabled in the 70’s, Simi’s life drastically changed. After spending months in the hospital and rehabilitation centers, Simi decided to take the opportunity to move to New York and attend college there. While living in Berkeley, she discovered that her neighborhood was more accommodating for people with wheelchairs, making it a welcoming space to live in. It was there where she discovered the political disability movement which inspired her to go back to university to get her bachelor’s degree in psychology.
What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.
The purpose of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was to protect the civil rights of disabled Americans, as well as put an end to discrimination, and to make adjustments to better accommodate the disabled. When presented to Congress, the Act surpassed party lines and gained support and popularity very quickly. While in theory the ADA seems revolutionary and helpful; in practice it presents the disabled with numerous problems, most of these arise in the form of red tape.
After spending about a year volunteering at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and completing two field placements at local hospitals, I’ve found that my best work is done with the elderly population. These experiences have molded my personal goal to crusade for the civil rights of individuals with disabilities, especially those in the older generation. Additionally, I now have a better understanding of treatments and services that are provided to individuals with disabilities. Many patients at these hospitals were admitted due to an injury or life-threatening illness. There are millions of Americans with disabilities, yet feelings of helplessness, vulnerability, and depression are often evident, as if having a disability isn’t a common occurrence. In 2005, I was in a car accident, and it broke my pelvis, fractured my C1 vertebra and required emergency surgery to remove my spleen. I was unable to sit up or get out of bed for about 2 months and was re...
Routledge: New York : New York, 2001. Shakespeare, T (2013) “The Social Model of Disability” in The Disability Studies Reader Ed Davis, L D. Routledge: New York.
In the essay “Disability,” Nancy Mairs discusses the lack of media attention for the disabled, writing: “To depict disabled people in the ordinary activities of life is to admit that there is something ordinary about disability itself, that it may enter anyone’s life.” An ordinary person has very little exposure to the disabled, and therefore can only draw conclusions from what is seen in the media. As soon as people can picture the disabled as regular people with a debilitating condition, they can begin to respect them and see to their needs without it seeming like an afterthought or a burden. As Mairs wrote: “The fact is that ours is the only minority you can join involuntarily, without warning, at any time.” Looking at the issue from this angle, it is easy to see that many disabled people were ordinary people prior to some sort of accident. Mairs develops this po...
The debate of mainstreaming children with a disability challenges the idea of having an enclosed environment where they can effectively learn. University of Missouri, College of Education states, “The term ‘special needs’ is used to collectively define those that require assistance due to physical, mental, behavioral, or medical disabilities or delays” ( .) Opponents who encourage mainstreaming argue that mainstreaming special needs children is beneficial. They claim children with a disability should receive equivalent access to public education and not be left behind because of an impairment. Many also dispute attempts should be made to develop tests to measure academic achievement. Aron and Loprest state “Reforming special education cannot be done in isolation; it requires integration with reforms being made in general education” (116). However, there are many problems the education system is going to face if children with a disability are integrated into standard classes.
To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face. Students with disabilities are far too frequently isolated and separated in the education system (Johnson). They are often provided a diluted, inferior education and denied meaningful opportunities to learn. There are many education rights for children with disabilities to p...