Blind Kids Won’t Have Room in School Anymore

Blind Kids Gotta Go

What happens when twenty-two students are taken out of school simply because there’s no room? Is the quality and importance of these kids education any lower than “regular” kid’s education? What happens when you’re a parent and you don’t even know what’s going on? How would you react if you find out your child won’t have a place in school anymore?

Willowbrook High School, listed as one of the top public schools in North America, according to a 2008 Newsweek survey, provided the ten year program that shelters twenty-two students from ninety-two DuPage and Cook County districts. The question now is where these students will go come next school year.

This outstanding school will begin its long awaited construction project. New classrooms will be added, the boys locker room will be moved to a different location, each and every classroom will have its own thermostat, along with dramatic improvements in the technical aspect.

With all the construction projects going on, Willowbrook High School will have to conduct summer school at a different location. The project is estimated to end by 2010, but no sound structure has been implemented for the twenty-two blind kids also occupying the school.

Parents of these students haven’t even received notification that their child will not be able to attend Willowbrook come the new school year. Micheal Volpe, Execute Director of the School Association for Special Education in DuPage County stated, “…..we first wanted to come up with a solution.” He says District 88 is really committed to finding these kids a place to learn.

District 88 Superintendent Steve Humphrey says, “…..can no longer house their program due to space restraints.”

Who will help provide these kids a place to learn?

It seems because society deem these kids as “different” their talents are recognized or taken seriously. Their learning ability is no different from yours and mine and they may require a little more attention, but what child doesn’t need special accommodations for higher learning. Their disability may not allow them to see but it doesn’t stop them from learning. Usually when we see a visually impaired person we feel sympathy but do we ever think of who they are? Maybe they’re governors, mayors, teachers, writers, piano players, psychologists, etc.

There’s no limit on the possibility for a visually impaired person, it’s when their options become stripped due to the thoughtless acts of society. Each and every child has their own learning process whether it is visual, strategic, or descriptive learning. The twenty-two kids at Willowbrook are special because they have a gift like no other, they learn by hearing. They learn by feeling, they’re fingers are there eyes, which is an outstanding talent. What school in the 88th district can’t make room for that?

These kids imagination must reach levels you and I can never imagine. Everything they picture has to be described, but how can the color red be described? They’re learning is much more difficult than ours, taking time, patience, and the understanding of knowing these kids also deserve the same opportunities as you and I.

While I applaud Willowbrook High School for their abilities to actually use tax payer’s money for actual educational improvements, I frown upon them for not trying to get these “visually impaired” kids somewhere where they’re education won’t be disrupted just as any other “normal kid”.

Hopefully there’s someone, somewhere willing to help twenty-two exceptional kids continue their education and their quest for life.