Blind Child Attends Private School

Blind Child Attends Private School

Future Reflections Spring/ Summer1989, Vol. 8 No. 2
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BLIND CHILD ATTENDS
PRIVATE SCHOOL
Editor's Note: The following article was written
by Cindy Hennessy, and published in the June 29,
1986, Catholic Bulletin.
'HE'S A LITTLE BOY FIRST
AND BLIND SECOND'
MOM WHO CHOSE CATHOLIC SCHOOLING
MAKES SURE STATE PROVIDES MATERIALS
DUE HER SON
Parents may send their children to the school
of their choice even if a child is handicapped and
needs special materials and services from the
state.
Barbara Ferrian said she wants her blind son,
Jess, to attend kindergarten at St. Anne School,
Minneapolis. Jess attended preschool at St. Austin,
Minneapolis this year with state-provided
materials.
"He's a little boy first and blind second," said
Ferrian. She said Jess's blindness should not
stand in the way of his getting a Catholic education.
She wants her blind son and younger blind
daughter to attend their parish grade school.
With the help of Lisa Gustafson, a lawyer, and
Audrey Goldfarb, a facilitator from the Minneapolis
Public School Nonpublic Education
Program, Jess received the materials he needed
to attend St. Austin. He will also receive the
materials and services to attend St. Anne grade
school this fall.
PARENTS NEED TO KNOW RIGHTS
Gustafson, who has a deaf niece, said many
parents don't know the state's obligation to
provide their handicapped children needed
materials and services regardless of whether they
attend a private or public school.
"The state is obligated to give a handicapped
child material the same as if he was going to a
public school," she said. "Handicapped children
have a right to the same education as anyone
else."
Goldfarb said Jess is the first totally blind
four-year-old she knows of to attend a nonpublic
school.
A student may not receive direct service in a
nonpublic setting, but that does not mean he cannot
attend the school of his choice, she said. The
state must provide materials and busing to
another location for special services if the student
attends a nonpublic school, she said.
Jess will be bussed to a public school to learn
Braille and will receive materials to help him
manage his classes at St. Ann.
Goldfarb said the materials and services are
available and there's no reason a handicapped
student should not attend a Catholic school.
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