A Mother Gets Benefits to Feed Her Family

Marcia is a single mother, raising her family while blind and deaf. Her young son Anthony, who has a speech disability of his own, has just started school, more than a mile from their home. Though the school district provides extra resources to deal with Anthony's learning issues, there is no provision for him to receive transportation assistance. But for Marcia, this is a heavy burden: the daily walk to and from her child's school is difficult and dangerous.

In the past, Marcia has turned to Legal Aid for help with issues regarding her own health benefits, and at a recent meeting in the Legal Aid office, she expressed her concerns about getting Anthony to and from school safely.

Getting in touch with district officials, the attorney was able to make the case that the district's policy regarding transportation for those with significant disability should extend to the entire family, not just the child attending school. Following this appeal, the district was able to accommodate Marcia's needs, and provide transportation for Anthony, even though his disability wouldn't normally qualify for that assistance.

To protect client confidentiality, all client names have been changed.