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The U.S. Department of Education has mandated that schools allow disabled students to participate in sports programs, or to create new programs for them. (AP Photo)

Sports: A civil right for students with disabilities, or our last meritocracy?

BY Jillian Raftery  on January 25, 2013 @ 3:21 pm (Updated: 4:51 pm - 1/25/13 )

Supporters hail the Department of Education directive to accommodate students with disabilities in high school sports as a landmark decision, but Dori thinks forcing inclusivity hails the death of our last meritocracy.

"They say, this is like Title IX, when we opened up athletics to girls," said Dori. "No, it's not!"

The directive states that schools must accommodate students with disabilities to the best of their ability. Schools also have the obligation to provide equal funding for additional programs equal to existing programs if students can't be accommodated in existing athletic programs.

"In other words, they will force high schools, if there are five disabled kids at a high school they will have to create a disabled basketball team," said Dori. "They will have to fund it equally, they will have to give it equal standing."

Dori thinks that sports are an important meritocracy, that not everyone deserves a trophy. He thinks that students with disabilities already have enough opportunities in athletics.

"Sports is a meritocracy," said Dori. "If a kid has a disability, but is still good enough on his or her merits to make a team, they can make the team!"

News anchor Ursula Reutin, on the other hand, tried to think of the issue from the point of view of a parent, like Lisa Followay, whose son is a wheelchair athlete. She says that she, and other parents, see this directive as a way for their disabled children to be a bigger part of their school and community through sports.

"This woman who you just heard from [Lisa Followay] she said schools really need to do a better job of offering a wider variety of sports," said Ursula. "If not the footballs [sic], maybe other sports that could accommodate disabled students."

Dori and his wife have long been involved in supporting public schools. Dori's wife has chaired local school levy campaigns, and Dori coaches a girl's basketball team at Shoreline High School. Based on these experiences, Dori says the program is unworkable because of budget constraints.

"I'm telling you, because I have to manage a budget for a girl's basketball program in a public high school, there's not money for this," said Dori.


What you're saying on Facebook:

Michael Au: Sport is a hobby not a right wtf

Rob Jacobs: What about the kids that are not athletic but aren't "disabled"?

Rosalie Curtis: Why is it the responsibility of the Public School's to provide sports for everybody when they are struggling to provide adequate education or a SAFE environment for children? Personally I think sports should come AFTER a safe & a bully free environment for kids to learn in. I think that sports should be pursued in the private sector. Our school districts are stretched thin enough financially and otherwise.

LeeAnn Hemmingson Sievers: Basically our schools are just going to have to abandon sponsoring sports due to budget concerns. Then only well to do kids well be able to play. And they will have to be good enough to be on elite teams

Kathie Noyes: Brave Our High School is so small they barely even have sports so don't know how they would do this!

Andrew Sack: So it seems "Equal opportunity" is coming into play. Does this mean schools should be required to provide alternative options for students who don't pass a physical? Or how about an alternative for students with failing grades. Students who study through college courses while enrolled in K-12 schools? Why do uniquely disabled get an "equivalent experience" instead of these paralleled groups of students?

Heather James: Sports are not a civil right. This is ridiculous, this an unnecessary "unfounded mandate". What legitimate activity will now lose funding because of this?

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (5)


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  • wsualumn wrote...
    The Key Words Here Are...
    January 26, 2013 8:06 am
    "To the best of their ability," in regards to accommodating these students. Some schools have a much larger number of these students than most would think. I am pretty mixed on this one. I can see both sides of this issue. I think we really don't see the full scope of it unless we have a child that fits in this category.
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  • Dizzle wrote...
    Here's the rub about No Child Left Behind
    January 26, 2013 10:58 am
    The statement Dory is talking about is about applying one of the statutes of No Child Left Behind (Bush's program): That all children being entitled to free and equal access to education means requiring schools to make ACCOMODATIONS to include them. No longer can you just segregate SPED kids off in some room because they don't have legs, or are blind, or have cognitive delays.

    Meritocracy? By bring up the issue, Dory is implying that disabled people are incapable of merit. This interpretation is bigoted in the extreme. It IS like saying girls should not be allowed to have teams of their own. If a girl can't make it onto the baseball team (because their shoulders are set differently than boys), they don't "merit" participation.

    I suppose Dory is also against JV sports: these kids lack the "merit" to participate in varsity sports, so why spend extra money to include them?

    Like it or not sports are a part of public schools and directly or indirectly require funding through taxes. So why support them? Because people like Dory think sports instill discipline, healthy habits (ha ha), and a sense of achievement that transfers to other areas of school and life.

    His message: deprive someone with no legs access to the benefits of competitive sports in public schools. Why? Because they've never had the opportunity to play due to the lack of accomodations for them in public schools.

    Kind of a catch-22 there.

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  • TwoTrees wrote...
    I'm constantly amazed...
    January 26, 2013 11:23 am
    ...at what our law makers will turn their attentions and efforts to regardless of the massive issues already at hand. "Bazillion dollar deficit? Nah...let's pass some 'Feel Good' legislation!"
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  • awbitf wrote...
    Why is Dori Monson given credit for writing these articles?
    January 27, 2013 7:29 pm
    They're almost always written by Jillian or Josh or another KIRO staffer. Just because you interview Dori- who is not an authority on virtually every subject, no matter how much he thinks he is, doesn't mean that it should be by his name.

    I hope Dori at least took a pay cut for no longer doing his own work.

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  • irony wrote...
    okay, how long
    January 28, 2013 10:43 am
    will someone with downs syndrome last on the football field. how long will a team stay in the basketball game with a one armed player not able to defend or shoot.
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