New Adventure!

Tomorrow will be Dude's first ever school trip and he's going without me.
I'm excited for him because he does EVERYTHING with me.

When 'school trip' was mentioned in a conversation with his teacher, I said to her 'You do realise that there's allot of planning to do when take 'Dude' any where don't you?' She looked shocked at me and asked 'Like what?'
Well first of all they needed to book a wheelchair accessible coach so that he could stay in his chair but be with all the other kids. He can't sit on the standard coach seats or climb the steps. Health and Safety regulations prevents them form lifting him and they would have had to hold him the whole journey, preventing him from slipping down and off the seat.
They also had to look at the venue. It's a local wildlife park that they have chosen. We had been once before and found it nearly impossible to get round but it had just opened and was 2 years ago. The teacher decided that they would go have a look round and plan round parts that weren't accessible.
I told her then that I didn't really want to go as I felt that he needed to go do something without me and be like the other kids. His teacher agreed and said that they had already decided that I didn't need to come after speaking to the Physio that does their moving and handling training. They did originally want me to go but he told them not to make me go as it would be a good break for me.
They identified 3 places in the park that wouldn't be suitable for Dude's wheelchair and checked out the toilets. They told the park that they need to be as close as possible to the entrance as they have a disabled child coming with them. The teacher said she was annoyed at their response of 'its first come first serve with the parking as we are fully booked with coaches' asked whether any of the other coaches had any people with mobility problems they were told no! I've told the teacher I'll send in Dude's blue badge as that may help with the parking problem.

I'm nervous. I'm frightened that they'll bust the wheelchair. I'm scared that the chair won't be clamped right in the bus and that they might have problem's toileting him. I'm also worried he wont get to see anything and he so loves animals. He's desperate to see the Lions and Tigers as Big Cats are his 'thing'.

I'm just praying everything goes smoothly for him and he has a fantastic time. I shall spend the day chewing my nails!



my Dude just loves animals