[nfbwatlk] School Punishes Blind 8-Year-Old By Replacing His Cane With a Pool Noodle

[Mike Freeman]

Thank you, Noel. I confess, though, that I was hoping that both blindness
organizations would use their noodles on this one.

I have a rather contrarian view on this. I'm forwarding here two posts --
one sent to the CFB list and one sent to the WCB list -- stating my position
and inferring that we've let our hearts rule our brains.

Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Nightingale, Noel via nfbwatlk
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 1:30 PM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nfbwatlk] School Punishes Blind 8-Year-Old By Replacing His Cane
With a Pool Noodle


http://time.com/3639778/blind-boy-cane-noodle-dakota-nafzinger/#3639778/blin
d-boy-cane-noodle-dakota-nafzinger/
School Punishes Blind 8-Year-Old By Replacing His Cane With a Pool Noodle
12
12.17.14  Laura Stampler

Administrators have since apologized
Administrators at a Missouri elementary school
punished<http://wtkr.com/2014/12/17/school-punishes-blind-child-by-taking-aw
ay-cane-replacing-it-with-a-pool-noodle/> a blind student for misbehaving on
the bus Monday by confiscating his cane and replacing it with a pool noodle
so he wouldn't "fidget."
North Kansas City School District spokeswoman Michelle Cronk confirmed that
the cane-which was "school property" provided to 8-year-old Dakota Nafzinger
upon enrollment-was taken after he reportedly used it to strike someone on
the bus, a local Fox affiliate
reports<http://wtkr.com/2014/12/17/school-punishes-blind-child-by-taking-awa
y-cane-replacing-it-with-a-pool-noodle/>. Dakota's father said that his son,
who was born blind, sometimes lifts his cane, which might have been
misinterpreted as a violent act. The Nafzingers say the school gave Dakota a
pool noodle to humiliate him for misbehaving.
"Why would you do that?" Dakota's mother asked Fox. "Why would you take the
one thing that he's supposed to use all the time? That's his eyes."
Dakota said he was told he would use the noodle for two weeks.
Gracemor Elementary School posted an apology on its Facebook page Wednesday.
[cid:image005.jpg at 01D01AA5.52698F00]<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gracemor
-Elementary-School/493793243971805>
[cid:image006.png at 01D01AA5.52698F00]Profile<https://www.facebook.com/pages/G
racemor-Elementary-School/493793243971805>
Gracemor Elementary
School<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gracemor-Elementary-School/49379324397
1805?fref=nf>
Elementary School * 539 Likes
* 22
hrs<https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=918576818160110&id=493
793243971805> * The District has reviewed the situation. We regret that a
mistake was made in making sure the student was in possession of his cane
when he boarded the bus Monday evening.
The District has apologized to the family and is working to rectify the
situation. When we were made aware of the mistake, corrections were made.
It is always the District's policy when we become aware of situations like
this, we thoroughly and immediately investigate to ensure a safe learning
environment for all students.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_noodle
A pool noodle (also known as a water log or woggle in the UK) is a
cylindrical piece of polyethylene<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene>
foam, sometimes hollow. Pool noodles are used by people of all ages while
swimming.
Pool noodles are useful when learning to
swim<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_swimming>, for floating, for rescue
reaching, in various forms of water play, and for aquatic exercise. The most
common dimensions are about 160 cm (5'3") in length and 7 cm (2.5") in
diameter.