New York Students, Families Struggle with Lack of Accessible Schools

Rebecca Kostyuchenko carries her 75-pound daughter, who has difficulty walking, up two flights of stairs every Wednesday to her computer class at Public School 321, in Brooklyn, so she can work on her coding skills with the other fifth graders.But that seems like a cakewalk to the Kostyuchenkos. Three years ago, their daughter, Jacqueline, had class on the second floor. They made multiple trips there each day to tote her to class, to the cafeteria for lunch and to the gym for physical education so she could attend school near home, like other children in their Park Slope neighborhood.

Bronx Special Needs Schools Rally Against Proposed Cuts

Bronx, NY - Teachers and special needs students rallied Wednesday against the governor's proposed changes to education funding.
Dozens from St. Joseph's School for the Deaf and The Lavelle School for the Blind protested in the Bronx.
Under the proposed budget several schools for the disabled are at risk of losing funding. Many of the students would be forced to go back to their local school districts.

Making Magic: 'I did it, Papi!'

NYC - P94M has only 60 students in their population. Each student is a special needs student. Because of the desire to use the autistic children as well as the other special needs kids, the school's lead teacher Ms. Derfner chose WILLY WONKA JR. because a group of characters don't have to a lot of script to recite, but they get to be on stage and to interact and perform. Auditioning was difficult. It's very hard for these children to show emotion, no less learn lines or sing songs or look at each other. It is not the electrifying competitive "I've seen this on Glee" experience that you would find in a typical middle or high school. Those school shows seem to produce happy, positive results. But how do you do it at "94"?
[...] One of the Oompa Loompas (a little boy who is Autistic and really non-verbal) is so pleased at his success that when he finishes one of his dances, (in the middle of the show,) he looks down at the audience and shouts, "I did it, Papi!" The audience responds, cheers in kind yells, "Go star!" "You're beautiful!"

Charter School Threatens Autism Program

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- A highly successful program for kids with autism could be destroyed if the city moves a charter school into a Carroll Gardens elementary school, parents and teachers are charging.
Department of Education plans call for Brooklyn Prospect Charter School to move into 14 portable classrooms at Public School 32 on Hoyt St. for the next school year.
The move would displace classrooms and therapy rooms at PS32 used by autistic kids - and parents and teachers say the impact on students would be severe.