There has been an annual school trip to the outdoor activity centre in the Cairngorms cancelled by a Scotish school as they couldnt take a disabelled girl, and to prevent legal action by the child parents.

Now i know the school are in the wrong not planning to accomidate the childs needs but surely its putting of an annual trip and spoiling it for all the other kids, how much of a kill joy are the parents.

We use to have school trips all the time to flamigoland and the baths etc, sure these didnt accomidate peoples needs who didnt like rides or couldnt swim.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/hig ... 470699.stm

I wasnt having a pop at disabled people at all my dad is disabled so know exactly what you on about with access etc of a party that is pre planned.

The point I was making is this is an annual trip probably done every year at the school for a specific year group say the year 11's, was the same at my school when we went to the lakes with the army rock climbing, bike riding etc. Now if I was disabled or one of my relative was then when I joined the school I would know that I / they wouldnt be able to go on that specific trip. Now others may want to go on it (other may not want to as they might not like climbing etc) so have the option to opt out. The school proabably put loads of stuff on throughout the year (mine did and i didnt want to go to them all as was stuff i didnt like)

As i said should all swimming trips etc be stopped becasue people in the class might not be able to swim.

It's a very tricky question, I think. People with disabilities need the same rights as everyone else, but at the same time, there are things they just can't do. Should everyone else therefore not do those things also?

There's a lot of deafness in my extended family, so I know how difficult it can be. Society/schooling certainly don't do enough to accommodate people with special needs. At the same time, a deaf person would probably not want to deprive other students of a concert, just becasue s/he couldn't hear the music.

Well, I agree, if there are centres where your daughter can take part in the activities, then the class could possibly have been taken there instead.

I don't want to fall out with you here EAD but the parent's are not right.In the news report it states

Highland Council cancelled this year's trip to Craggan last month to avoid legal action after Donna Williamson said her daughter was physically unable to take part in the activities planned.

Now that to me takes us to the "blame culture" the parent appears to me to be looking to be using her daughter's disability to stop other children's enjoyment or more to the point hoping the school went and to go to court for compensation.

Now I don't know the girl's disability, but how would the mother have reacted if the school had said she could go (at same price as other children). And the mother could go at a cost and they would see what could be done for her to enjoy herself and try things. How does the mother know 100% that her daughter was physically unable to do the activities. Did you have fears for your daughter when she tried abseiling , horse riding etc, even though it was in a disabled friendly environment, but you let her try you didn't block it, when maybe your head said you should but your heart and wanting to be a good parent said, she needs to try.

As other's have pointed out you don't stop other's enjoyment because you don't enjoy the same thing.

Now other's say why couldn't the school attend somewhere disabled friendly, and I agree with that but was there enough time to sort for this year,(it may have simply been overlooked by the school, and this will mean it will have plans in place for future years. There also cost, if the school has been attending the same venue for many years they may get some discount which they couldn't organise at short notice somewhere else.

I dare say I can say with conviction that you have never played the "disability card" for your daughter giving her the best over her childhood, letting her try what she wanted(as you described on here) but being a good parent in saying well you can't do such and such this time but maybe next year, it's called being a parent.

Yes even in this day and age there are still faults with the way some people and businesses deal with disability what we all need to do is to educate them and not threaten legal action because at a certain time something is not as we like it.

It just seems some people watch to many "if there's a claim there's a blame" adverts on tv. Now I'm not saying that the case in this instance.

I'm now waiting the next report in the news that says

"Highland Council threatened with legal action as mother says her able bodied son was denied a trip that had been held every year at his school. And he had been denied the opportunity to take part in certain activities. Yes sounds totally illogical and unlikely but as I say some people will try anything to make a quick few quid.

I hope I have put this well I'm not after insulting the disabled, I just don't think the parent's are right to do it knowing what the outcome would almost certainly be, and that is the trip cancelled and a lot of disappointed children. If I put it wrong and have insulted you EAD or any one else with disabled family/ friends I apologise and will try to talk to you in the Mill next Tuesday about how I'm trying to say what I want.

Further to Mr Bob's post, here's a little more info on the case...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/hig ... 427762.stm

I must say I agree with Compo and Bob here.
It's discrimination gone utterly mad.
Let's hope common sense prevails.
Also, maybe it's possible the kid would have enjoyed being with the other kids even though unable to partake in most of the activities.
Some parents. Honestly :)

I may be digging a hole for myself here but I'm trying to look at this situation objectively and from both sides.

The mother states

"My daughter would have been excluded in that she would have had to stay in the centre while all the kids went off to do the activities.

"When she wasn't in the centre she would have been asked to film them kayaking and doing the things she would love to do but she cannot do and I thought that was psychologically a pretty cruel thing to ask a child to do."

Now if the first part of that is correct the school are TOTALLY OUT OF ORDER.

But did the mother discuss the situation with experts with regards to it being making a film as "psychologically a pretty cruel thing to ask a child to do" BUT more importantly did she discuss it with her daughter, who may well have thought taking part in some form and making a film of her friends would be enjoyable. I really am trying to be objective, and I bow to people like EAD with more knowledge of this sort of thing.

So without digging a hole for myself I would like to ask EAD (or anyone else with more knowledge a couple of questions).

Going on the information in the 2 attached links about the story,

What would have been your action(s) with regards to this situation.

Would you have tried to arrange other activities when the child couldn't do what was planned ?

Would you have dismissed any suggestions out of hand ?

Would you have threatened legal action before any discussions , or would you have tried for a solution after discussions?

It's part of the whole question about whether students with special needs benefit more by having 'specialist' education, or by integrating with ordinary classes. It's a mine field.