Challenges Faced by a Mother

Four years ago I had the sad realization that discrimination exists on all levels, even to children. My daughter was 14 and attending life skill classes in a public school. My daughter is mentally and physically challenged. She was riding the bus home from school each day. On one particular day the bus driver asked to speak to me. She informed me that she did not want my daughter to ride her bus anymore because she was disabled and she needed to ride the handicapped bus. She also informed me that if my daughter continued to ride her bus, then she would not be responsible for anything that happened to my daughter.

As you can imagine, I was very upset at the fact that I had not been able to get my daughter on the handicapped bus. Secondly, I was upset that this person, who was driving my daughter home each day, was telling me that she was not going to be responsible for her.

I contacted the school once again, requesting that my daughter ride the handicapped bus, once again, she was denied. They stated that they could not afford to run the bus for only one student.

A few days later, my daughters teacher requested to speak to me. She informed me that the bus driver was not allowing my daughter to board the bus in the afternoon. She explained that each day when my daughter was attempting to board the bus, the bus driver would throw her back pack out onto the ground and tell the teacher to take her to the special needs bus. The teacher had to walk my daughter to the principal’s office each day and have him board her. This happened once in the rain, so when my daughter got off the bus, she was drenched. As you can imagine, I was very upset. I actually threatened the school, principal, and bus driver of discrimination.

I later found out that the law states that if I request for my daughter to ride the special needs bus, and she qualifies as special needs, they have to allow her to ride, regardless if she is the only one riding. That same day, the school informed me that my daughter would be on the special needs bus.

My daughter still rides the special needs bus each day, and loves it. The bus driver is wonderful with special needs kids, and looks forward to picking my daughter up each day. There are other students on that bus besides my daughter, and each of them deserves the same consideration as my daughter.

It’s our schools job to educate our children, and to keep them safe while in their care. It’s our jobs as parents to make sure the schools hire qualified people to teach and transport our children.

Due to the bus driver’s attitude and behavior, she was fired from her job that same day.