B.C. mother calls for change after daughter with down syndrome denied access to art class
Posted March 3, 2025 9:23 am.
Last Updated March 3, 2025 9:27 am.
Nine-year-old Kenzie loves to paint.
Her mother, Katie Jameson, signed Kenzie up for an art class at 4 Cats Art Studio to give her the opportunity to interact with kids her age, she says.
“We were looking for an experience for her to be alongside peers, where she could feel happy and included and feel joy doing something that wasn’t in our house,” Jameson told CityNews Vancouver.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!But she explains the response she received was deeply disheartening.
“I offered to join my daughter and sit alongside her to facilitate an accessible support so that she could participate,” she said.
“The next day, I got an email back stating that because of her need for a support person, she was not allowed to attend the class,” Jameson explained.
Jameson says the art studio suggested they attend a weekend class designed for families instead.
“We were told that there was a policy that could not be moved, and there were no exceptions,” she added.
4 Cats told Jameson they were not equipped or trained to support children with specific needs in regular classes, and the presence of an extra adult can disrupt the experience for other children.
“This is such a systemic issue that parents of kids with disabilities are prepped and ready for their kids to not be included,” Kenzie’s mother said.
Jameson says she is simply asking for human decency and that something needs to change.
“In all corners of our communities, kids with disabilities are being kept out, and if there aren’t kids with disabilities in programs, it’s not because they don’t want to be there; it’s because they aren’t allowed to come in,” she shared.
In a statement to CityNews, 4 Cats says, “If a child requires one-on-one adult support during a kids-only class, we are happy to accommodate a parent or caregiver, provided they complete a current criminal record check. This policy is in place to help maintain a safe and supportive environment for all children.”
The statement goes on to say the business will be reviewing and updating its inclusion policies to further remove barriers and enhance accessibility.
“I know that if exclusion like this continues, Kenzie faces lifelong isolation and discrimination, and she will not be wrapped in a community, and she will feel alone and she will feel … neglected,” Jameson said.
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