KENT, Wash. — A video taken aboard a school bus shows a student whose wheelchair was not properly secured tipping over and crashing to the floor, KING 5 reports.
The incident occurred in January on a ride home from school, according to the news source. Video footage from the bus shows Charlotte, 7, falling to her left side and hitting the floor while still in her wheelchair, and school district staff on the bus rushing to help her. She suffered minor injuries.
Chris Loftis, the head of communications for Kent School District, told KING 5 that the bus driver failed to properly secure the wheelchair. He added that the district regrets what happened and is apologetic, and the district’s protocols and procedures were reviewed and adjusted after this incident. Bus drivers and nurses who work with special-needs students on the buses were also given new training.
Natasha Hall, Charlotte’s mother, told the news source that her daughter has tumors and growths in her brain, and is completely dependent upon adult care. She added that more needs to be done, and that this is not the first time her child was injured at school. She posted the video of the incident on her Facebook page and encouraged other people to share it to raise awareness of what can happen if proper care and attention isn’t given to a child with special needs. She also told KING 5 that she has heard from many other parents of students with special needs that are having the same issues with their school districts.
To read the full story, go here.
Watch video of the incident below.
Please share this so it becomes viral! My daughter, Charlotte, is a seven year old disabled student at the Kent school district in Washington state. Since Kindergarten she has been continuously neglected and her care has been substandard. This is the latest in a string of injuries that she has endured due to staff negligence that the district refuses to take responsibility for. They are violating her civil rights and a judge's order to keep her safe. I am left with no alternative but to post this in the hopes that the district will put appropriate safety measures and care in place for my child. They are not wanting to pay the medical bills or pain and suffering."
Posted by Natasha Hall on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
