♫ upbeat music ♫
[FEMALE VOICE]: Should students have to choose
between academics and independence?
Blind students have to.
COURTNEY: Hi my name is Courtney Cole
and I'm a college student from Seattle, Washington.
In Washington state, blind students have the option
to attend their local public school
or to attend the Washington State School for the Blind,
WSSB, located in Vancouver, Washington.
WSSB is a public school that is free to attend
if your application is accepted
and serves legally blind students in Washington state.
Living in on-site dormitories,
students are immersed in a community
of peers and mentors with similar experiences.
Students are able to receive instruction
in Braille, orientation & mobility,
and other everyday skills that are necessary
to living an independent life as a blind person.
However, while there are many opportunities
for blindness training at WSSB,
it lacks academic opportunities
such as advanced placement courses.
I spoke with Josiah Sanchez who attended both WSSB
and public school to get some insight on the issue.
JOSIAH: I go to Western Washington University,
majoring in behavioral neuroscience.
There's definitely an obvious difference between
the speed and intensity of academics.
There are definitely some classes
that I feel did prepare me,
but their science and mathematics curriculum
I wouldn't say prepared me
for what I might encounter in university.
In addition, the segregated nature of WSSB
means that students are often missing out
on exposure to the community at large,
which is essential to developing important social skills.
Since WSSB has only one location, it's also a possibility
that students can be far from home and their families.
Public school is the alternative
to state schools for the blind.
In a public school setting, blind students
must be proactive about advocating for their needs,
which can be positive for building self confidence.
But, the public school system can be
full of red tape which makes makes it
difficult for blind students to get
the equipment and accommodations that they need.
JOSIAH: If public schools did have the education and
were able to provide these accommodations
then I think that
having a separate school
wouldn't be necessary.
Some public schools don't have the right
accommodations or aren't able to
or aren't educated on how to accommodate properly.
COURTNEY: We are forced to choose between
independence skills and academic opportunity,
a decision that able-bodied students
never have to make.
You have the right
to a free, appropriate, public education.
Go to rootedinrights.org/StillSegregated to learn more
For more videos from Storytellers like me,
follow Rooted in Rights
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and help support this Storytellers series at:
patreon.com/rirstorytellers
Written and directed by Courtney Cole
Special thanks to
Josiah Sanchez, Abbey Cole, and Seattle University.