schools

blind girl can't use cane in school because someone might trip over it

Posted on: Sun, 11/29/2015 - 19:15 By: Tom Swiss

Ah, bureaucracy.

Blind Girl Denied Use of Cane in School Because It's a Tripping Hazard (Reason.com)

A blind girl in Britain has been told she cannot use her cane at school because it presents a tripping hazard....

Lily-Grace Hooper, who is seven, suffered a stroke when she was just four days old, which left her virtually blind.

But her school, Hambrook Primary School, has now told the youngster she can no longer use her walking cane, because it could trip up teachers and other pupils at the school.

A risk assessment by Gary Learmonth from Sensory Support Service – done on behalf of the school – said the cane caused a high risk to other people around Lily-Grace, and that she should instead have full adult support “100 per cent” at all times.

In other words, at the risk assessor’s behest, the school is ready to create a dependent and incapacitated child out of a bold and bubbly girl who was getting around just fine.

Subscribe to schools