o/t i know but brownies

[mammymax]

can anyone tell me if the brownies have a policy on allowing girls to join

Hopefully the Brown Owl was just a bit uneducated and with a bit of advise will be happy to have her. She may have limited experience of girls with special needs and genuinely wasn't sure how a girl who is deaf would manage. This should be a positive thing for the whole pack.

Our Guides has a member with Down Syndrome. This sort of discrimination's against the law mammymax

mammymax just to add to the chorus of appalledness at this attitude.

And yes, it's against the law too.

I help with a local Brownie pack and This sounds incredible to me. We would welcome her as we do all other girls. Perhaps the guider needs to contact her District Commissioner to seeks guidance on how she can help this girl. Parents can contact the DC too!

my dd has cerebral palsy and she is a very enthusiastic rainbow

a rainbow has just 'graduated' to brownies who also has CP and uses a wheelchair and needs a lot of support

my dd has a student who helps out with the rainbow pack to support her

tho I think the parents of the brownie do actually pay a student to help her cos she needs a lot of support

however I can't see why on earth a deaf girl can't be a brownie. dd needs support cos she might fall over or need someone to take her to the toilet

this seems insane and a fuss is in order I think

My DD2 is a Brownie and so is her friend, who is deaf. There is one profoundly disabled Brownie in this pack too - she is a wheelchair user with very limited communication. ANYONE can join the Brownies and I strongly suggest that you report this Brown Owl to the District Commissioner. I am horrified for your DD's friend.

I'm horrified, too. But she may not be breaking any laws. She can exclude a child if the child is a problem on Health & Safety grounds. So for example she could argue that in an emergency she could not evacuate the hall safely as someone would have to be responsible for the deaf child which would mean that the safety of the others could be compromised.

The answer would be to get an extra adult helper with responsibility for the child - maybe other mums would take turns.

hi she has a support helper with her (her auntie) so there should be no excuse really i think i will complain to the dc,where do i find that?

I'd mail the Girl Guides using the Contact form on their website mammymax, and good luck.

Where are you mammymax? District Commissioners are usually also Guiders in your district. I know you don't really want to ask your Brown Owl, but could you ask one of the Brown Owls from another unit, (or Rainbow or Guide unit). They all come under the same district. If you are really stuck, get on the Guiding Website, you shouldbe able to find a number there, even if you have to start at the top and work down. HQ tel number is 020 7834 6242 web: girlguiding.org.uk

I too have a dd with special needs who atm is at rainbows but will move up to brownies (and they are already worried that it might change the dynamics of the group)
my answer - you will include her but i am not prepared to be there all the time to help her, dd(and the unit)have to learn to adapt together.
I am a Guider too and feel that this Brown Owl needs some training(which is available), but please remember that the Brown Owl volunteers to do this role(and it's not just the hour spent at the meeting each week!!)