Laura Heon | Oppose HB1221

It is important for inclusion to provide students with disabilities support in their home communities. Having students travel farther to a school outside of their community will cause extra stress financially, socially, and emotionally on the student as well as their families. Making students travel, separating them from their siblings and friends, and isolating them from the communities that they live in is unfair and will teach the student that they are other, and their community does not accept them. On the other side of the coin how can children learn empathy, compassion, acceptance, and true inclusion, if they do not grow up with friends who have any differences. As a child one of my best friends had autism. As a child I didn’t know this, I just knew he liked trains and making movies. Some of my favorite memories of elementary school was spending lunches with him and our guidance counselor creating movies together. I didn’t know it then, but those experiences led me to wanting to work with children with disabilities, which eventually led me to getting a bachelors in psychology and masters degree in therapeutic recreation administration. Similarly, my daughter in preschool had two siblings “who don’t have very many words” begin in her class, and within two weeks of them attending my 4 year old came home so excited, because one of the boys said “Hi [my daughter's name]” she must of said about 10 times on the way home “I didn’t know he could say my name! He is my best bud!” Seeing people who look, communicate, and act differently is a part of every day life. How can we teach our children this, if they don’t experience it for themselves in a safe environment. How can we tell them that everyone is a valued human being, no matter their struggles, differences, or abilities, if we also are sending these same students away and out of our communities to be educated. I whole heartedly do not support this bill and believe it is a persons right to be educated in their own community along with their peers.