Rules let disabled students compete

VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind.(WTHI) - President Obama and his administration work to give all students an equal opportunity.

The U.S. Department of Education issued up-to-date guidelines to allow disabled students to be able to participate in extracurricular activities.

"In my 18 years of coaching, I've coached kids that have visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, a loss of a limb, or two limbs, and they've participated at the Varsity level, So I know that we would welcome that here," North Vermillion High School Athletic Director Martin Brown said.

Brown said each student's situation is handled by a case to case basis.

"It would be based off performance but we also wouldn't want to put a student in harm's way," Brown said.

One of those students hasn't let her disability hinder her position as an athlete.

Freshman Laura Elwell is a cheerleader for her school and does it with only one hand.

"It's usually easier for a person because people settle it with doing it their own ways and they find a way to process all that and it gets easier for them it may seem hard but it doesn't stop you," Elwell said.

Brown says it's a win-win.

"I think there's a lot of value to be learned from that because they can see these student athletes with disabilities doing things that they take for granted," Brown said.

It allows the school and students to reap the awards.

"The reason why we have extracurricular activities is to help kids become better adults. We're not producing pro athletes that's not our business," he said.

For disabled students who can not effectively meet the program, the school district is recommended to create another opportunity.

North Vermillion High School anticipates that being difficult because it doesn't have enough kids.