Why are there laws demanding special handicap access to one type of handicap, but not all?

Question

where i live we used to have alot of country schools, some wanted consolidation. it came to a vote 3 times, all three times the vote was to keep the country schools. someone on the other side had the schools inspected and found they did not have handicap accessable restrooms etc. the price to do this, in schools which no handicapped student existed, was prohibitive and the schools where closed. the consloidated school has provisions for many handicaps, but not all. they have nothing for hearing impared, very little for sight impared. there are no provisions for the bed ridden. come on if we can close a school for a non existant wheelchair bound student, what makes him better than the deaf one that doesn't exist?

Answer 1

In the terms of access this seems to be the first disability which springs to peoples minds. The stuff for the vision impaired probably wouldn't cost that much. You would need to paint any areas which are dangerous (poles, edges of steps etc) and if there is a vision impaired student their course work should be presented in the most appropriate form (large print, braille, electronically etc.) Hearing impaired students probably already have hearing aids. They should still sit at the front of the class. They would also possibly need a buddy during non class times. Possibly also an interpreter if they speak sign language. Bed ridden students are possibly in wheelchairs for part of the day to get from place to place. If they are in mobile beds the wheelchair provisions are probably fine for them.

Answer no child is better or deserves more to access the curicculum than another student but as I already said when a person thinks access they only seem to think about wheelchair access as this is the one that seems to be the most visible. Deafness and blindness isn't necessarily a visual disabilty to those who are looking at the person whereas being in a wheelchair is.

Answer 2

Wheelchair-bound students require buildings with handicap-accessable restrooms and ramps or elevators, assuming the building has more than one story and/or a series of steps leading to the main doors.  

Students without motor disabilities but who are blind, deaf, or emotionally, communicatively, or cognitively impaired don't have these architectural needs.

It's a lot easier to buy FM systems for the hearing impaired or Braille instruction for blind people than it is to get wheelchair bound students into a building that has no ramps.   So too with teaching learning disabled and MR students.  

As for bed-ridden students, they are not commonly served in the public school setting.   Under the law, medically fragile students may be served at home or in a hospital setting, as long as this is the least restrictive environment in which the child can learn.  

BTW, under federal law, all school districts are required to all their students who qualify for special education.    If a deaf student moved to your district, your district would be required by law to spend the money for an interpreter and any necessary amplification.    

Rainchild