The relevance of educational excursions cannot be emphasized enough.
It’s an opportunity to deepen knowledge in settings different from the classroom. However, there are students who cannot participate in school trips.
Their parents may not be able to afford them, or they might have a disability that prevents their participation.
Ryan King, who was only 10 years old at the time, unfortunately found herself in this situation.
She was afraid that, due to her spina bifida, she wouldn’t be able to join the next trip because the destination wouldn’t be suitable for wheelchair users.
However, things started looking up quite rapidly. Spina bifida is a condition that begins to manifest in a person while they are still developing in the womb.
It’s caused by an incomplete growth of the spinal cord, leaving a gap in the tissues that can irreversibly damage the nervous system.
This almost always leads to weakness in children and, in more severe cases, can even result in complete paralysis of the legs.
To explore fossil beds, Ryan’s class was on a trip to Falls of the Ohio State Park.
While it’s frustrating that some buildings and environments are not accessible to wheelchair users, there isn’t much to be done regarding the natural environment.
She continued to experience the feeling of being excluded. The teacher’s name is Jim Freeman.
Her understanding teacher offered to carry Ryan for the entire distance to ensure she didn’t miss anything important along the way.
Not only did he make studying easier for her, but he also provided her with the opportunity to participate in an exciting school trip with her class, an opportunity she wouldn’t have had without him.
The fact that Ryan’s mother, Shelly, praised his behavior on Facebook should not surprise anyone.
She said: “If I haven’t already said enough about the school my kids attend, please listen to me. They’re going on a field trip to Falls of the Ohio today for their class.
Obviously, this is not possible. As I was preparing for an ‘alternate field trip day,’ a male teacher approached me and said:
‘I’m happy to take her around the falls all day!’ He added that she’s extremely excited to do it independently without his help.
“We are extremely fortunate to have such a caring and understanding school, and that she never feels excluded.”
