Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

[KeltonKrew]

Is this a crock or what?<br /><br /> http://www.click2houston.com/education/7882072/detail.html <br /><br />CHICAGO -- Mayra Ramirez thinks driver's ed is a waste of time.<br /><br />And in her case, it is. She's blind.<br /><br />But the 16-year-old and dozens of other visually-impaired sophomores are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam to graduate from Chicago schools.<br /><br />Ramirez said she does the same work that the sighted students do in other classes. But driver's ed -- in her words -- "brought me down, because it reminds me of something I can't do."<br /><br />Hundreds of Illinois school districts require students to pass the class, although the state only requires districts to offer it.<br /><br />A spokeswoman for the state Board of Education tells the Chicago Tribune, "It defies logic to require blind students to take this course."<br /><br />A Chicago Public Schools spokesman said he "can't explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue." He said parents of disabled children can legally ask to change the student's curriculum.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

WTF?

 

[RPJS]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

Madness!!

 

[PW2]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

As a parent of a blind student, I might have been a bit upset had they tried to deny graduation from my daughter, but she probably would have taken the test just for sport, and I would have never heard about it otherwise. (to my knowledge, she didn't)<br /><br />Being blind never stopped her from compaining of my driving.<br /><br />But the notion that it makes them "feel bad" is plain silly. They know they are blind. If their feelings are that sensitive, they need to get over it.<br /><br />It's a tough world out there, and it is tougher still if you can't see. That is just something they need to learn.<br /><br />My daughter has been mugged in Everett, Wa Bus station, and she got arrested in the Vancouver BC airport, when she decked some poor guy who came up behind her and grabbed her arm trying to help her. After the dust settled on that one, it was pretty funny. She let the poor guy really have it, but he was a stand up guy and told the authorities that it wasn't her fault--He came up behind her and grabbed her arm--he was only trying to help, but he fully understood why she reacted as she did.

 

[harkawy]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

So explain why the drive up ATM machines have Braille lettering for the blind.<br /><br />And I agree....WTF.<br /><br />It is the same stupidity that requires girls who play baseball to wear cups between their legs for protection.... Protection from what? For crying out loud.<br /><br />Where's the baseball bat when you need it.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

Originally posted by harkawy:<br /> So explain why the drive up ATM machines have Braille lettering for the blind.

For your passengers in the back seat.

 

[JB]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

Most drive-up ATMs are also walk-up, and the same models that are walk-up only.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

"A Chicago Public Schools spokesman said he "can't explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue." He said parents of disabled children can legally ask to change the student's curriculum."<br /><br />There are proceedures in place to address the problem.<br /><br />Sounds like a non-issue to me.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

Forcing these kids to take the class is likely a requirement that was pushed thru by the local chapters of the teachers union.

 

[PW2]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

There is no explaination for the braille on ATM's<br /><br />Walk up or not, you still need to see the screen to use them. They are experimenting with headphone jacks to make the machines accessible, but so far I am not aware of ones commercially available.<br /><br />And I'm sure teachers unions had nothing to do with this. Some school board member decided to get the school board to issue some edict that *all* students need to comply with such and such, and the school is given little leeway in how they implement the rules.<br />It is a bureaucratic snafu. It's not unheard of.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

The ATM's near me, most of them have the headphone jacks on them already and have had them for years.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

I dont see how this could hurt??<br /><br />I am sure the guy who translated this to brail got a chuckle.<br /><br />Perhaps one day we will have a cure for blindness, so ya never know.<br /><br />And PW is right, kids/parents who are offended by things like this must really be sensitive.<br /><br />Ken

 

[PW2]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

________________<br />The ATM's near me, most of them have the headphone jacks on them already and have had them for years.<br />______________________<br /><br />That's cool! None of them here in Michigan have them, to my knowledge, nor are they available on the west coast. It's not as if it is complicated or leading edge technology, but it does cost money, and apparently so far the demand for them has not justified the extra cost, at least in those markets.

 

[TexomaAv8r]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

off topic random thought:<br />I wonder of the braile is also in Spanish and english like the other wording?

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

<br />off topic random thought:<br />I wonder of the braile is also in Spanish and english like the other wording?<br /><br />

....I swear to God, I'll moves to another country the day that happpen. How come it's only in Spanish though?

 

[bayman]

Re: Blind Students Forced To Pass Driver's Ed Written Exam

Drivers Ed could be made obsolete if they just those self driving systems working better and solve the insurance problem.