Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all | OregonLive.com

Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all | OregonLive.com:

Prom for students with special needs promotes access, acceptance for all

by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian

Joann Guenther could hardly sleep this week -- she was too busy thinking about her first prom.

Guenther's mother, Laura Cross, had helped her prepare for weeks. By Wednesday night, the Multnomah Education Service District student had the sequined pink dress, the new shoes, the freshly highlighted hair.

For most high schoolers, prom is an inevitable milestone. But for special education students like Guenther, who needs a wheelchair, that's not always the case.

Just last week, a Lake Oswego High School student in a wheelchair couldn't attend his prom because the venue couldn't accommodate him. Some special needs students can't get access to a nurse or aide for a night event. Others may get too overwhelmed by the crowds and the lights.

Such issues led Brett Bigham, a Multnomah Education Service District teacher, to start a