Thread: Girl with no arms and legs says cheerleading try-out is unfair

Originally Posted by Curt James

She took dance lessons for ten years, sitting on the floor with shoes placed on her arms so that she could tap rhythms on the floor.

Once I read that I could no longer hold it in.. envisioning a quadaplegic with shoes on her arms while dancing to some music is just too much. It's one thing to not let your disability hold you back, but at some point you have to draw the line.

I'm really pissed off about this lawsuit. This is not what the ADA is about. This is not what "reasonable accommodations" are about.

Here are some examples of reasonable accommodations:

http://www.las-elc.org/factsheets/di...education.html
Not assessing penalties for spelling errors on papers or exams;
Allowing substitutions for certain required or prerequisite courses;
Allowing extra time on exams or to turn in papers;
Providing exams in an alternate format;
Allowing a reduced course load and extra time in which to earn a degree;
Providing housing accommodations for a student’s attendant;
Reassigning a classroom to an accessible location;
Providing assistance in applying for financial aid.

Interpreters;
Notetakers;
Taped texts;
Readers;
Videotext displays;
Talking calculators;
Braille calculators, printers, or typewriters;
Telephone handset amplifiers;
Closed caption decoders;
Open and closed caption TV;
Voice synthesizers;
Specialized gym equipment;
Raised-line drawing kits;
Assistive listening devices or systems;
TTYs or TTDs;
Reaching device for library use.

If a deaf child wanted to participate in a debate club, then it would be reasonable to provide an interpreter. It is reasonable to give this girl a special locker that she can easily access from her wheelchair. It's a reasonable accommodation to have a personal assistant attend classes with her. It is not reasonable to fundamentally alter the essence of a sport so that she can participate.

What's even more frustrating is that her attorney basically acknowledges that there is no way in hell that she could play football because of the physical requirements. Cheerleading has actually become a very physically demanding, athletic sport. It is not about standing on the sideline and shouting. There is an incredible amount of physical effort, flips, dancing, etc. that goes into it.

What Our “Nobody is Different” Culture Hath Wrought | insignificant thoughts
Kevin Schneider, a Lincoln attorney representing the Sullivans, said the policy of treating everyone equally is inappropriate when it comes to someone who has a legally recognized disability.

“We would agree that there are some activities such as football where the ability to run and tackle are fundamental to the sport,” he said. “Making reasonable accommodations and modifications for cheerleading are not fundamental in that same way.”

The parents took this one too far and are further shitting on our legal system. The district is now wasting money defending this lawsuit. Furthermore, stuff like this does not help the disabled community.

This girl's story is not inspiring. It is lunacy. This is inspiring: Get Off Your Knees | WMHT Specials | PBS Video

Here's a take away quote from the video: "Never once did he ask for special help, accommodation. Never 'I can't do this, can you help me with this.' It was always 'I'm gonna do it.'

Reminds me of when we had to play scrimmages against the School for the Blind. They had a drum to send vibrations to signal the snap. They didn't have 1 offside penalty, plus they seemed to be able to focus on the ball much better....

Originally Posted by Gentleman

I'd hate to be person who has to clean this girl in the restroom.

Obviously she can do anything a normal person can so I guess it would be unfair to wipe her ass for her....maybe she has a bidet(the toilet seat conversion kit with built in ass-blow dryer) or something or she scoots across the rug like my dogs....

Originally Posted by maxpro2

This girl's story is not inspiring. It is lunacy. This is inspiring: Get Off Your Knees | WMHT Specials | PBS Video

Here's a take away quote from the video: "Never once did he ask for special help, accommodation. Never 'I can't do this, can you help me with this.' It was always 'I'm gonna do it.'

Jesus, the dude makes me feel like a pile of shit.