Madison Wolanyk is just like every other 14-year-old, except she was born with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and autism. Madison has developmental delays and needs a wheelchair to get around, but she goes to school like everyone else and leads as normal a life as possible.

Part of being a normal kid is going on field trips with classmates, but Madison didn’t get to go to Disneyland with her special education class at Hilltop Middle School in San Diego in February, violating special education and disability laws (Section 504, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans With Disabilities Act)

Eugene Wolanyk, Madison’s dad, called Hilltop Middle School and spoke to the vice principal.  “He just told me very matter-of-factly there’s like 100 students going so we couldn’t get the lift for the bus, so that’s why Madison’s not going,” Wolanyk said.

Sweetwater Union High School District’s transportation policy says: “If a disabled student is excluded from school bus transportation, the district shall provide alternative transportation at no cost to the student or parent/guardian …”

To read about and watch the entire broadcast conducted by reporter Allison Ash and broadcasted on ABC San Diego, CA affiliate television station KGTV:  http://www.theindychannel.com/news/national/disabled-girl-denied-class-trip-to-disneyland

(image description: Madison is sitting in her wheelchair. She has short brown hair and nice smile with brown eyes.  She is wearing a white and blue striped top. The picture include the caption Team 10 investigated Girl in Wheelchair denied Class Trip to Disneyland, abc10)