Oct 23, 2017

There are over eight percent of students here at Central Kitsap High School that are afflicted with disabling or activity-restricting conditions. There are school policies in place for these students. Nurse Sara Leshley says that Individual Health Plans (IHPs) and 504 plans are customized (or individualized) to best accommodate the student.

Senior Emily Livengood doesn’t let her congenital scoliosis keep her from doing activities despite the pain and breathing problems caused by it.

“I was a cheerleader for a couple years,” says Livengood, “I love to climb rock walls and go hiking, and I’m very flexible even though my back is not. So I try to do as much as I can.”

Despite this, Livengood admits that her scoliosis does cause her issues at school.

“A lot of times I’ve had to miss school for [long] periods of times because of having to have surgery or because my pain gets so out of control that I have to miss school,” she says.

Students can be affected by more than just physical illness.

“People need to realize that just because some medical conditions are inside someone’s head doesn’t mean they’re not there,” says Senior Brandon Rodriguez, “Literally, depression is the deformation of the brain. So is Autism, and ADHD, and all those other things, they’re real things.”

Assemblies used to exclude students like Rodriguez, who suffers from myoclonus, a form of epilepsy. But now assemblies will no longer include flashing lights.

“I’ve been talking about it with Mrs. Staker at the Cabinet meeting last week,” he says, “And we agreed that the classes can use the lights but they can only turn them off or on.”

Both Livengood and Rodriguez emphasize the importance of living a fun life in spite of your disability.

“Just because you’re not good at something and you can’t do something doesn’t mean you have to hate yourself for it,” says Rodriguez, “Focus more on the positives of what you can do and what you should do versus what you can’t do and what isn’t worth it.”