This is the email I received from my office mate. Please read!!! I'm pissed & I'm doing something about it. You?
When I heard this story, I couldn’t believe it. How on earth could you treat someone like this?
A friend of mine has a seven year old daughter. Her daughter was invited to a birthday party at Emerald City Gymnastics at 90th and Bond in Overland Park, KS. My friend’s daughter is also blind. So, to prepare for the birthday celebration my friend called the gym to explain their situation. The manager of the gym told her she couldn’t get on the floor or the equipment with her daughter, but that the gym “sets aside other times during the week to accommodate kids like her daughter.” Those “other times” don’t include the birthday party. I couldn’t believe this when I read it! This girl is so smart and so capable. No one should be telling her she can’t participate in the activities for the birthday party of one of her peers because she is blind. Are you kidding me? What is she suppose to do, sit there and listen to all of her friends have fun? Adults should know better than to do/say something so ignorant. There is no reason the gym couldn’t have been flexible and let my friend do the activities with her daughter OR be prepared to receive a diverse group of people at birthday parties in general. Since I don’t have kids I can’t boycott this place, so I’m sending this story to you.
Please think twice before signing up for gymnastics, planning a birthday party or attending a birthday at Emerald City Gymnastics or anywhere that discriminates against civil rights. Check out this site to file a title III (Americans with Disabilities Act) complaint if you find yourself in a similar position http://www.ada.gov/t3compfm.htm .
