Blind girl banned from using cane at school due to Health & Safety

2019-03-08 65

A blind girl has been banned from using her walking cane at school because of "health and safety issues" - in case she TRIPS up teachers and fellow pupils.
Lily-Grace Hooper, seven, suffered a stroke when she was just four days old, which left her virtually blind. But earlier this year a charity donated her a fibre-glass walking cane after her confidence soared when she started using cardboard tubes to help guide her way at home. But her mum Kristy, 38, has been left "absolutely livid" after a risk assessment done on behalf of the school said the cane caused high risk to people around Lily-Grace. Hambrook Primary School in Bristol told her not to use it in school, and the report suggested she have full adult support at all times, and she was told to "walk carefully".The move by the school and the Sensory Support Service - which does assessments for schools - has been slammed by charities.Furious mum Kristy, from Bristol, said: "It is a disability, but I want to celebrate it and make sure she can become independent. "When the school told me she can no longer bring her cane into school, I just thought this must be health and safety gone mad.