Families gathered outside the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind on the westside to protest the school's planned relocation to Copper Creek Elementary in Oro Valley, saying the move would damage their tight-knit community.
The protest brought together students, alumni, and families who view ASDB as more than just a school – they call it home.
"I'm glad that I have friends here. I have my two best friends here," said Brandon Trivitt, a student at ASDB.
His mother, Rebekah Trivitt, is an ASDB alumna who credits the school with helping her find community.
"It built my confidence because I was the only one in my house who had a visual impairment. I got to see that I wasn't alone, that there were many more people out there like me than I thought," Trivitt said.
The news of ASDB's relocation has left many students and families heartbroken about losing the place that holds so many memories.
"I'd be really sad and kind of mad about the school shutting down," Brandon Trivitt said. "I've been here for five years. This is like my home away from home."
Rebekah Trivitt expressed concern about the broader impact on the community.
"And if ASDB goes away, it's going to hurt a lot of people. It's really going to damage the blind community," she said.
Organizer Derrall Peach, who started the protest for his daughter, emphasized the importance of equal access to education.
"We want our kids to have the same benefits and rights as everybody else. They deserve to go to the school of the deaf and blind. That's what it's here for," Peach said.
ASDB senior Jamal Stell joined the protest to advocate for his school and future students.
"I'm doing this for not only me and the rest of this year, but the community. Because I believe that what they've done is very discriminatory towards the blind community. And it also very much impacts the deaf community as well," Stell said.
Other ASDB students shared their support, with many having transferred from public schools where they had difficult experiences.
"Some of these people came from public school and had terrible experiences like I did," former ASDB student Claeb Cody said. "It's terrible to think that others may experience the same thing I experienced."
Stell called for continued community support in fighting the relocation.
"I want to say to all those out there to continue to support us and to continue to help fight to keep this campus open, because this is important for both blind and deaf communities together. This keeps us all together," he said.
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