March 12, 2008
School and Daycare
Question from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA:
My nine-year-old child will be starting a new elementary school this coming August due to our move across the country. I have started a rapport with the principal and the nurse that travels to several schools in the community because I knew they would need to prepare for him. They stated that due to school policy, my child will have to go to a school across town that has a full time nurse since the school in my neighborhood only has a nurse two afternoons a week. The school across town has very low marks as far as their education, as well as being in a higher crime rate part of the city. The school that we are entitled to have him in is within walking distance of our home, has high educational marks and I work at home, so would be available to drive there literally within 20 seconds. Can they force us to go to the school across town and not allow him admission into the school that is so close to our home? Can you cite any “legal” instances about the rights of diabetics that I might be able to print out and present to them?
Answer:
Please give the American Diabetes a call at 1-800-DIABETES so that our Legal Advocacy staff may help you. There is also relevant information on the ADA web site about School Discrimination.
Transferring a student to another school to meet disability needs is discriminatory in and of itself. Your position is strengthened by the fact that your child’s education is being compromised if the opportunities are not comparable to the opportunities available at your child’s neighborhood school. A safe practice and the model that the ADA supports is one in which others (like teachers, school secretaries, administrators, etc.) have been trained to provide safe care to your child.
CJ
