Children with disabilities are people too
Children with disabilities are people too. My wish for children with disabilities is we [the other] give our children the humanity they were born with. Each child comes into our world with their “OWN” God given right to be treated as he/she want to be treated. People in their sphere of influence and education must take every conceivable and unconceivable step to insure the child’s viability as a worthy human being.
Our systems of self- indulgence, discrimination, subordination, and exploitation must stop. If our children are to reach the level of success on any relative scale they choose. The systems and frames we operate from, control one’s ability to allow individualism to most. In my childhood one of many simple task [tying shoes] was an overwhelming and all- consuming task trying to be taught to me. All-consuming because none of the fingers on my left hand moved on their own. People without a disability had equal use of all fingers. The simple task of tying one’s shoes was being taught without respect for and knowledge of the effects of my disability on the use of my fingers.
From the age of four until I was nine, all of my family members and childhood friends willingly tied my shoes for me. All of them tried with much futility, I am sure, to teach me the simple task of tying shoes.
My family and friends did not have any training or assistance available to them for teaching them the intricacies of working/training a child with a disability to be self-sufficient. The training needed would/should have included the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological knowledge required not only for working with and training me, but most importantly for their mental, emotional, physical and psychological health.
I am more than sure my family and friends experienced emotional and psychological trauma that has never been treated and probably they have never realized happened to them. Today 55 years later parents, siblings, friends, and care givers are experiencing trauma in many ways unrealized and untreated. I know due to the language Ii hear used when people without a disability describe a child or life around a child with a disability. The use of terms such as: “my child did something most NORMAL children do”. This defeats the God given purpose of the child’s life. Every CHILD is “NORMAL WITHIN THEIR REALM OF POSSIBILITIES.” Placing our or the systems definition of “normal” on any child, especially a child with a disability whether born with, genetic, accident, or otherwise is a dis-service and borders on abuse of the child, as well as abuse of one self and others.
Our children need our help not our sympathy.
Kenneth Brown is a disability, seniors, and Human rights advocate/consultant. He welcomes reader responses at ablenotdisabled@aol.com or telephone/text 612-518-2155