No Leash Law for the Blind

No Leash Law for the Blind

No Leash Law For The Blind

by Carole Linhart

Editor's Note: Carole Linhart, a single mom from Washington

state, adopted her blind daughter, Hailee, when she was seven

years old. Months before the adoption was finalized, Carole

contacted the National Federation of the Blind. She wanted to

learn everything she could about blindness. Carole joined her

local chapter of the NFB, collected (and read) masses of

literature, and purchased a white cane for Hailee.

When Carole went to the airport to bring her new daughter

home (Hailee is from India), she was prepared. She had some

knowledge about blindness and, more importantly, she was

committed to approaching this blindness thing with a positive

attitude and high expectations. She also had Hailee's cane.

Within minutes after greeting and hugging her new mom, Hailee

had her first cane in her hands.

Hailee, who came to the States eager for a home where she

had the freedom and opportunity to learn, took off like a

firecracker. Today she reads and writes Braille, speaks

English with ease, and is as mobile within her home and

community as her sighted peers.

If Carole's attitude was all that mattered, that would be

the "Happily Ever After" ending to this story. But it isn't.

After all, Hailee lives in a neighborhood and a community with

many other people. And their views and opinions about

blindness--enlightened or ignorant--impact Hailee's life, too.

What can a parent do if a neighbor's fear and ignorance

of blindness threatens her daughter's independence, or worse,

the family unit itself? It happened to Carole.

Fortunately, the incident was quickly resolved, but it

understandably shook Carole, and gave her much to think about.

What is a parent's obligation to educate neighbors and others

about blindness? What can you do if someone who has questions

and concerns will not come to you and ask? Here is what Carole

has to say about what happened to her family:

In July, 1995, I was reported to social services by an

anonymous caller, a neighbor who left no name or phone number.

She said, and I quote, "Ms. Linhart has let her daughter

wander all over the place by herself for a long time."

The caseworker was apologetic when she called, but by law any

call to their office is followed up with a call and an in-home

visit. My response was, "That's right, Hailee's been walking

around her neighborhood for months, and next school year

she'll be walking to school." When I told Hailee who was

coming to visit and why, she said, "What's the problem?" The

caseworker was easily convinced that this was a normal

activity for Hailee, partly because Hailee immediately asked

the caseworker if she wanted to watch her walk to the park,

which was about a half a mile away.

What disturbed me the most was that the neighbor did not

have the courage or courtesy to come to me and discuss it. I

cannot control whether this good samaritan, or others like

her, will report me again, but I have offered to help educate

the intake workers and have given them the phone number to the

president of the NFB of Washington state, Gary Mackenstadt. In

the meantime I will continue to let Hailee increase her area

of independent mobility, as would be appropriate for any other

child her age.

Because I did not want this incident to go on file

without my side of the story--in my words--in it, I wrote a

letter to the department. Here is my letter:

August 10, 1995

Child Protective Services:

Yesterday I got a call from Teri Clark. She said someone

anonymously reported on July 31 that Hailee, my ten-year-old

daughter, had been walking "all over the place" by herself and

felt compelled to register the concern. The only place my

daughter is currently allowed to walk alone is in her own

small residential area, which has only one entrance, is not a

thoroughfare, and has a bike lane. Why should this normal

activity for a youngster my daughter's age be a cause for

concern? Beats me. Would it have anything to do with the fact

that my daughter is blind? Probably so, but it certainly

shouldn't be.

My first reaction was, "Yes, she walks all over her

neighborhood by herself. I expect her to and encourage her to

do so, isn't that great." Teri is familiar with my philosophy

since we have spoken before. She seemed to understand that I

would encourage Hailee to be age appropriate to the level her

skill, confidence, and competence allow. Hailee is very

bright, competent, and capable. Many people in the National

Federation of the Blind (NFB) have said over and over that

Hailee has better cane travel skills than many blind adults.

Hailee is fully capable of doing anything any other ten-year-

old does. Furthermore, I expect her to, and Hailee knows that.

At ten, it is appropriate for her to walk in her neighborhood

alone, as other children her age do.

As I told Teri, when Hailee is walking about I am always

home, I always know when she's leaving, where she intends to

go, and a reasonable time to expect her back. Hailee sometimes

follows practiced routes. Other times she is encouraged to

explore within her travel area, and she knows where the

boundaries are. As the years unfold Hailee will be introduced

to main street crosswalks, intersections, and will ride buses-

-alone. Hailee will have a paper route for a local newspaper

in our immediate area as soon as one becomes available after

she turns eleven. Later she may have routes in adjacent areas.

Hailee's orientation and mobility instructor supports this.

She will be expected to do the route herself once she has

learned it, and I will always accompany her on collections, as

I did for my sighted son until he was fourteen.

Hailee jogs with me. She is outside a lot and rides the

scooter up and down the street alone. She is learning to ride

a bicycle. She has fine balance. We are just trying to smooth

out the pedaling and find the best way for me to guide her.

Blind people ride bikes. They also ski, swim, jog, play t-

ball, and dance.

Hailee walks the 1/2 mile to Heron Park unassisted.

However, I let her lead off by a few minutes, and I am always

on the trail somewhere. Later we meet at the park. The same

goes for the return trip. Hailee navigates on her own in the

park and can get to any play apparatus she desires.

Hailee's mobility instructor will be introducing her to

more sophisticated areas and situations during the next couple

of years, and Hailee will be walking to and from school with

other children her age. As time goes on, Hailee will be seen

walking alone in a lot of other areas and crossing our

boulevard.

Hailee should be expected to be seen in her community, as

any other child would be. If she does not get out in the

neighborhood and do what other children do, she will become

socially isolated, and she will not be able to gain the

experience she needs to travel independently. Without the

opportunity to explore and correct mistakes, Hailee can't

reach that independence. She will get turned around

occasionally, even as an adult, and she needs to learn how to

make corrections. She will become increasingly more

sophisticated in her techniques as she gets older, but not if

she isn't allowed to practice and build on them.

Hailee is safe in the residential areas in which I allow her

to go, and she can correct any mistakes she may make. If she

ends up in the middle of the road, she can recognize that and

get back to the sidewalk or curb. What safer place is there to

practice your skills than in your own neighborhood? Would you

suggest I keep her locked up until she is eighteen, only

allowing her to go somewhere with an escort? Would you want

that sort of social stigma for your child?

After having had a day to think about this, I am feeling

indignant, sad, and frustrated. This sort of reporting, and

your office's reaction to it, borders on harassment. Hailee

has never shown up on a missing person's report. She always

has her cane when traveling. She never goes out alone after

dark. She never goes out if I am not home. She always asks if

she can leave the house. Are sighted ten-year-old children

routinely reported to social services when they are walking to

the park or to friends' homes in their neighborhoods? Has this

same citizen reported all the other children ages six to ten

in my neighborhood who are wandering around by themselves? I

would like to think that your agency would consider the

situation and conditions and not waste my time and yours.

I will continue to let my daughter walk the neighborhood

and increase her area of travel as appropriate and safe. I

suggest that if this citizen calls again (because my daughter

will be "all over the place") that you educate her and then

refer her to me or the NFB. I would be happy to help your

office set up procedures and guidelines for disseminating such

calls. I would also be willing to offer any assistance in

providing you with appropriate and necessary information.

It is not easy parenting any child, but when you have the

fears, misconceptions, and ignorance about blindness to

confront on a daily basis, the parenting task seems to take on

a much more global nature. I am Hailee's parent, not the

neighborhood's or the world's. However, I often feel that it

is up to me and Hailee to teach others constantly about

blindness, fairness, consideration, and respect. People who

report such incidents without having the common courtesy to

ask for my, or Hailee's, input are cowards. They are showing

little respect for my right to parent and to make decisions

for the welfare of my daughter, or for Hailee's right to be

given the respect and freedoms enjoyed by other children.

I ask that you accept my explanation and philosophy as

being in Hailee's best interest and ignore other such calls

concerning my daughter's normal mobility and activity in our

community that may come into your office in the future. You

may call Gary Mackenstadt for more information about

expectations for the blind and for answers to any questions

you may have.

As far as I know there isn't a leash law on children in

Mill Creek.

Thank you,

Carole Linhart

cc: Gary Mackenstadt, President of the NFB of Washington

Editor: That's the letter Carole sent a year ago. As I was

planning this issue, I called Carole and asked what had

happened in the months that followed. Were there any more

incidents? How was Hailee doing? Here is what Carole reports

nine months later:

Nine Months Later

Winter is over and it's staying light until 7:00 p.m.,

and Hailee's back out on the streets. She's not only in our

neighborhood; she's walking to and from the park by herself.

She also walks the mile to and from school with the other kids

mornings and afternoons. And last weekend Hailee escorted a

new classmate who moved into our area to the park, too. The

new classmate is also blind.

Hailee will be eleven this summer. She will be attending

a summer resident camp for a week. She has a beautiful

freestyle stroke that takes her two lengths in an Olympic-size

pool. She also read in our NFB of Washington Read-A-Thon to

raise funds to go to our NFB National Convention. She

solicited her own pledges--including pledges from neighbors.

Hailee's biggest problems have not been her blindness,

but in convincing others, especially kids her age, that she's

just like them and likes to play, chat, and have friends.

Hailee's biggest problems in the future will not come from

lack of competence, confidence, or skill, but from other

people's fears, ignorance, and misperceptions.

I haven't heard from social services again or heard any

expressions of concern from anyone in the community. Will they

call again? Only if a "concerned" citizen feels compelled to

make another report. But, as I told the caseworker, I am not

going to restrict or inhibit my daughter from the necessary

and appropriate learning experiences or activities for someone

her age. Hailee will continue to engage in behaviors in which

other children her age engage, including navigating around the

neighborhood and in the community as her skills and maturity

warrant.