Christie signs bill to require NJ school districts to accommodate disabled students in sports
After reading this article do you think Alabama should adopt this law? Do you think this will help or hurt the students involved (disabled and non-disabled)?
Interesting article and I'm not really sure how I feel about this. As a parent and an educator I believe sports activities should be available for disabled students, but how far do we go and exactly what kind of accommodations are we talking about?I know there are many opportunities out there for students and I would like to know more about the proposal.
ReplyDeleteI think the state of Alabama should do what will be for the best interest of the disable persons. Bear in mind, we have different categories of disabled persons. Some are totally dependent on external help while some are not. some can reason logically while some cannot. In my own opinion, i know that sporting activities puts smiles on our faces and it is an avenue to express our inner emotions and strenght. Having said the above, i think it will be good to weigh the pros and cons before adopting or rejecting the law.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction is to accept this proposal without question as students with disabilities should absolutely have equal opportunities in an educational environment. Not only do these students benefit both academically and socially from being around their peers, their peers also have opportunities to learn about diversity and acceptance of all types of people. However, I would like to understand the extent of the proposal in addition to the perimeters it establishes for high school sports. Personally, I think high school sports are taken too seriously and often find myself wishing that parents and school systems would refocus their attention on learning, both in the classroom and on the field. In my opinion, being a part of a high school team should be considered as a part of the academic experience, as opposed to holding stock over a core education. If this were the case, allowing students with disabilities to participate in sports would be as meaningful as including them in the general classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am on the fence about this topic. I think it is fair to offer students with disabilities the opportunity to try out for athletic programs at the school. I also agree that sports teaches very important social skills as far as team work, leadership, and hard work. I also think sports teaches discipline and structure to children. Clearly defining that the sport could be a health risk or put the child in danger is also important. However I do not know if it is in the best interest of all of the students. Depending on the sport and the type of disability this law may cause more harm than good. At my daughters school they have a group of girls with special needs that they allow to cheer during the home football games. I am sure it teaches the girls on both squads a great lesson, but it is still a different squad than the girls without special needs. I think the law sounds good, but I just am not convinced it will help the students.
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds like a great program. I would also like to read the bill in its entirety to learn more about it, as others have said. But from the article it sounds like it is a great addendum to federally mandated laws to ensure equality in schools. If a disabled student is physically able and selected for a team why shouldn't he or she get to play? It also talks about disabled students getting to participate in classroom activities in the same manner as other non disabled students which I think is how it should be. I think it is important to encourage all students to work their hardest whether they are extremely talented or just fair at the activity. I think our job as educators is to give all students a chance at every opportunity that they wish to pursue.
ReplyDelete(ifurlong)