I was interested in Chantel Mays' take on a blind student attending a school for the blind or a typical school. This is something I thought about throughout the whole interview. This is a major decision for not only the blind student but also for the parents. There are both pros and cons to attending a school for the blind but there are also pros and cons to attending a typical school. I liked how Chantel Mays described going to a school for the blind as a "blessing and a curse" because every student at that school is just like them. I also found the statistic that 84% of blind students go to public high school interesting but I understand why these individuals attend public high schools. When you get into the "real world", everyone is not going to be just like you so by going to public high school, they can get accustomed to being around people who are not like them.
I found this interesting as well. After graduating from a school specifically for people who are blind, individuals often proceed to move into a setting where the majority of people are not blind. I am sure this would be very difficult for someone who has spent the majority of their time in a school where there were few "typical" students. I think that as awareness for disabilities continue to increase and more people realize the potential of people who are disabled, there will be an even greater shift towards integration and the movement of people who are blind into public schools.
Jaden, I agree with your perspective on attending a typical high school. I do feel that it is important that someone with blindness should attend a school for the blind first just so they can learn how to navigate around first, but the real experience will come from being in a typical school. That statistic is shocking to me because you don't see many students that have a deficit of being completely blind in a typical school that much, but I think the more they are around their peers the easier it will be to be in society as an adult.
I think that it is important for students to attend a public school setting after they have learned how to navigate through public settings. Starting in a school for the blind for example can teach them the basics of braille, navigation, and general education with people like before they are placed into a system where they may or may not be the only visually impaired student
Jaden, I had many of the same thoughts while watching the video as well. I agree about your statement on why you think these students might choose to go to a typical public school instead of a school for the blind. This made me think of the culture surrounding groups of people who share a common exceptionality. I think we talked about this with ASL and how people with deafness consider ASL a huge part of their culture/socialization. It would be very interesting to compare outcomes of students who attend typical vs schools for the blind to see it there are different opinions about the culture associated with their disability.
I agree with you 100%. The school for the blind is a good thing I think when first starting school, but to me being able to learn and get accustomed to dealing with all kinds of different people is what makes public high school important. So maybe if students start off at a school for the blind and then transition into public high school, maybe that would give them the best of both worlds?