Vision Australia will shut the doors of its education centre after more than a century with its remaining students to be integrated into mainstream schools. Casey parent Leanne Woodman is among those who say the decision is wrong. DIANA WELLS reports.
CASEY's Leanne Woodman is one of several parents making a desperate plea to Vision Australia to keep its education centre going.
She fears that if her six-year-old daughter Maddie, who is vision-impaired and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, has to attend a mainstream school she will not receive the attention she needs.
Vision Australia Education Centre has taught blind and visually impaired students at its Burwood site since 1961, but will close its doors after December next year.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will take over the educational responsibilities for the remaining 18 students.
Leanne says Maddie is sociable and energetic, but would not cope in a mainstream or special developmental school.
She has cortical vision impairment, which means she can't process two-dimensional images such as books and television, but has made "amazing progress" while at Vision Australia.
"Now we are losing the one school that has the capability of ensuring that Maddie reaches her full potential," Leanne says.
Echoing Leanne's concerns is Narre Warren's Carolyn Pearson, whose son Chad, 12, has attended Vision Australia's education centre since he was five.
Chad has been blind since he was 10 months old after radiation treatment to treat a brain tumour.
Carolyn is troubled at the thought of him attending a mainstream or special developmental school.
She said Chad attended a special developmental school for a 12-month period a couple of years ago,
but staff were "unable to academically teach Chad due to his vision impairment" and therapy staff were unable to adequately address his therapy needs.
"He became distressed and fearful."
Carolyn says she would home-school Chad rather than place him in a mainstream school.
Vision Australia chief executive Gerard Menses says its decision to close the centre and sell the site was based on the belief that children who are blind or have low vision have a right to be educated in the mainstream, with specific needs addressed.
But Leanne and Carolyn say not every child has that capability, nor do the schools have the resources.
"Because Maddie is not legally blind she didn't qualify for the Government service of a visiting teacher who specialises in vision impairment," Leanne says.
Mr Menses says Vision Australia guarantees to continue its current services, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in mainstream schools to those who still need them, but the core curriculum was state responsibility.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development says it will "work closely with Vision Australia over the next 12 months to ensure each child who attends the centre is fully supported in their transition or enrolment at a government school".
However, Leanne and Carolyn say the consequences of closing the education centre will be devastating to their children and families.
Both have begun petitions and are distributing them in and around Melbourne.
To help, email Leanne at leannewoodman@hotmail.com or call 0423 030 262 or call Carolyn on 0449 165 388.
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