School trip cancelled due to disabled kid's parent
At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, and whilst completely agreeing with the spirit of the Disability Discrimination Act, this unfortunate parent is taking it to its extreme and managing to discriminate against the other children involved because they happen to be able to participated in able-bodied activities.
‘Disability’ row leads to cancellation of outdoor school trip
I understand and completely empathise with the parent involved who must feel frustration at the activities her child - undoubtedly just as loved and worthy as any of the other kids involved - cannot participate in. But humans with limited arm and leg function cannot climb climbing walls or safely participate in kayaking in a freezing loch.
At a time when there are many reports of overweight kids due to lack of activity, outdoor activities can have huge benefit to able-bodied kids. As far as possible kids with less major disability should be catered for. There is no reason partially-sighted kids should not climb a rock-face with appropriate kit and trained instructors for example. But a child who can only move about with the aid of an electric wheelchair cannot possibly be accommodated without preventing able-bodied kids getting full benefit from such a trip.
Maybe one day electric wheelchairs will exceed the capability of 4 litre engined off-road-vehicles, but for the moment they do not, and despite deep regret a child needing an electric wheelchair cannot benefit from the experience of climbing a rugged 1000 meter mountain. (How many mountain-walkers would be keen for a wheelchair-navigable path to be installed all the way up their favourite hills?)
Absolutely such children should be provided with equivalent trips as far as possible. But say a wheelchair-dependent kid is a future chess grand-master? Is it excluding the mentally less able rest of the class not to take them to a major chess tournament? No, of course its not.
It is undoubtedly difficult to know where to draw the line. Blind people can and do learn to scuba-dive for instance. But by threatening legal action this parent has triggered discrimination against the currently able-bodied. With the risk that some of them in future will lose their ability due to lack of inspiration/motivation to exercise.
‘Disability’ row leads to cancellation of outdoor school trip
I understand and completely empathise with the parent involved who must feel frustration at the activities her child - undoubtedly just as loved and worthy as any of the other kids involved - cannot participate in. But humans with limited arm and leg function cannot climb climbing walls or safely participate in kayaking in a freezing loch.
At a time when there are many reports of overweight kids due to lack of activity, outdoor activities can have huge benefit to able-bodied kids. As far as possible kids with less major disability should be catered for. There is no reason partially-sighted kids should not climb a rock-face with appropriate kit and trained instructors for example. But a child who can only move about with the aid of an electric wheelchair cannot possibly be accommodated without preventing able-bodied kids getting full benefit from such a trip.
Maybe one day electric wheelchairs will exceed the capability of 4 litre engined off-road-vehicles, but for the moment they do not, and despite deep regret a child needing an electric wheelchair cannot benefit from the experience of climbing a rugged 1000 meter mountain. (How many mountain-walkers would be keen for a wheelchair-navigable path to be installed all the way up their favourite hills?)
Absolutely such children should be provided with equivalent trips as far as possible. But say a wheelchair-dependent kid is a future chess grand-master? Is it excluding the mentally less able rest of the class not to take them to a major chess tournament? No, of course its not.
It is undoubtedly difficult to know where to draw the line. Blind people can and do learn to scuba-dive for instance. But by threatening legal action this parent has triggered discrimination against the currently able-bodied. With the risk that some of them in future will lose their ability due to lack of inspiration/motivation to exercise.
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