Sun-Beams is a collection of links to stories, articles, photos, or videos I have come across that I believe will inspire, inform, or encourage you, as well as my favorite photo posted on my other blog, Violet Film, from the past week.
Lost Voice Guy – You may have heard of Lee Ridley already, the standup comic who can’t speak (he has CP uses a device to vocalize), but you may not have visited his website. He’s funny, thoughtful, and I’m glad he’s out there giving a voice to disability.
Rise Up, Revolutionaries! – A thoughtful post from the Special Olympics blog on the Dignity Revolution. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
Am I So Different Now? – I linked to Sarah’s blog recently, and this post struck another chord with me. She talks about a recent experience meeting an acquaintance that she’s known for years, and how that person treated her differently based on one tiny difference since the last time they met.
Parents with disabilities want support, not stigma: False belief exists that people with disabilities can’t parent – When I first saw this story, I was dumbfounded. Stereotypes are dangerous, and apparently can even be used to justify taking an infant from his/her parents. Thankfully, it was followed by this story, although the headline stating the parents were “allowed” to keep their son chafes me a bit.
Jon Will’s gift – Washington Post columnist George Will reflects on the life of his son on the occasion of his 40th birthday (and George’s 71st).
Photo of the Week:
Wow, that article about the parents with disabilities really got to me. We have parents on drugs and many times the children are left in the homes and yet, a parent who has CP is automatically assumed to be unable to handle a child? btw, I love the above pic with SK and you new puppy of love.
It is disturbing, to be sure, that people would automatically make that assumption. I have an adult friend with cerebral palsy who has two children – the oldest is just a few weeks younger than Nathan – and I thought of her when I saw this story. Her husband doesn’t have a disability, but I wondered…what if he did? Would “social services” have reacted the same way in their case?
I was wondering why such an old post was getting so much traffic all of the sudden. I forgot I wrote it!
🙂