The Blind Leading the Stupid

By Jocelyn Geboy in News on Mar 10, 2006 8:28PM

Chicagoist took Driver's Ed class our sophomore year, even though we wouldn't be able to drive for another year (we were young for our grade). However, there was the real possibility and later attempt to take the driving portion as soon as we were able to secure a temporary permit. Fair enough.

However, in another stunning display of sad management, Chicago Public Schools requires all sophomores to take Driver's Ed -- even the ones who are blind and will never drive. Whaa?

Yep, an article in the Trib today lays it all out. Here's the best part: Remember all the gruesome videos they'd show us in an attempt to scare us from being crazy, reckless, stupid young drivers? Well, apparently they are still showing these...to blind kids. Double whaa??

They expect the kids to take the class, but don't really have materials in Braille or anything. Not only could the kids be taking some other academic class, but as one student puts it, "In other classes, you don't really feel different because you can do the work other people do," said [Mayra] Ramirez, 16. "But in driver's ed, it does give us the feeling we're different. In a way, it brought me down, because it reminds me of something I can't do."

Awesome. Bring those blind kids down a notch. Remind them that they're NOT the same as all of us and they'll never drive!

To say the least, we're stymied.

Image via Huron Valley Schools website.