Pages

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Marching band in a wheelchair...

Arizona teen in high school who uses a wheelchair marches in band - his dad helps propel his wheelchair. Look for him in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year!

What about college kids? Check out this University of Louisville student who is blind and uses a wheelchair and also is in a marching band with the help of his dad.

8 comments:

Rosemary said...

It's a shame these are the only disabled students we are hearing about. The deaf student I had taught in elementary school went on to play the drums in our high school band. There are probably plenty of such stories out there that do not get reported, that would be encouraging to other disabled youth. But thanks for spotlighting these two, at least.

Have you been feeling OK lately? Something tells me you haven't been, or am I just imagining it?

Ruth said...

I am OK. thx so much for your concern. More evaluation/diagnoses/tests for nephew which always is hard.

i will definitely look for more stories like those andam hopeful that one day the schools will provide the help so parents who cannot/will not do it are not the only reason kids can participate andthrive. just saw the brook ellison movie - her mom took on helping her at Harvard.

Rosemary said...

Well, I'm glad it was just my imagination. I hope all the tests and such with your nephew are helpful and not overly tiresome for him.

Rosemary said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rosemary said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rosemary said...

The Atlanta Constitution put this story on the front page and continued it for a full page farther back, on Friday, Nov. 17, about a disabled boy, named Gerald Robinson, who ran one play in a Banneker High homecoming football game.

You have to pay to read the whole thing online, but my DH buys the Friday AC each week, so we have a copy. It's a wonderful story, not only of the school's, the team's, his classmates' and coach's willingness to help this boy reach his full potential, but of this youngster's determination to not think of himself as handicapped.

Stupid me, I messed up link to the AC archives out of the last posts, so I deleted them!!


FOOTBALL DREAM FULFILLED

Ruth said...

LOL I was wondering when I saw the three posts! Thanks for sharing the article. It's great that this kid doesn't let others people definition of handicapped as meaning you can't find resourceful ways to do things....stop him!!! Hate that word anyway - it's negative...like a golf handicap...better to just say person with a disability....

Rosemary said...

It's a shame the newspaper is so stingy with their archives, as it's quite a story. I searched the Internet, hoping some other service had picked it up, but couldn't find it anywhere.