In the News
Two recent articles about lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of people with developmental disabilities caught my attention.
Originally posted by Stephanie Holland 4/6/14 In the NewsOne of my roles here on The Road is to scour the news for stories that are relevant to our community. I usually share them via “ScoopIt” and post them to our RebelMouse site. Once in a while I’ll be particularly interested in a story and elaborate on it either on FaceBook or here, on my blog page.
Two recent articles about lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of people with developmental disabilities caught my attention.
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I'd guess the question most frequently posed to parents of a child who has Down syndrome is "Did you know before he was born?” or “Didn’t you get tested?”
Next on the list of FAQ's would be "How severe is it?" The first question is offensive because it assumes that if you did know you would have chosen not to go forward with the pregnancy. The other is equally troublesome because of the implication that there is some type of measure for the amount of chromosome 21 that exists within the cells of people who have Down syndrome. Both queries reflect the general population’s misunderstanding of who our loved ones are: valuable human beings with every right to exist and be who they are. For a long time, guardianship was considered the only way to keep individuals with ID/DD "safe." Now, there are other options such as limited guardianship or powers of attorney. But how do families make the decision about what is best for their family? Finding answers
Registration for the one hour discussion is only $15.
We'd like to give a few families a chance to attend this important webinar for free. Enter to win one of five free registrations! Originally posted by Stephanie Holland 4/4/14 Don't underestimate him!!One of my favorite things to do is to "eavesdrop" on the conversations that Josh has with himself, his "boys" (the stuffed animals he surrounds himself with) or the television. As an only child, he's had develop his own ways of entertaining himself, and he's a pro at it by now. Every now and then I'll realize that I've heard him say the same thing before. There's one phrase that he keeps repeating on a regular basis "it's a BABY talking!" It made me wonder what the heck was going on so I decided to look into it. Turns out, he's talking to a commercial. He reminds me that you NEVER know what he understands and processes. You just have to take the time to listen - (or eavesdrop) - to find out. :)
Originally posted by Stephanie Holland 1/12/14 In the past year, I've gone through all of the five stages of grief.
At first, I couldn't believe it had happened. Of course I thought it was a mistake. I spent most of the past twelve months bouncing back and forth between depression and anger. It seemed like the anger was the only thing that pulled me out of the depression. I've also done a lot of bargaining. "If I work hard enough to get "justice".... If he was here, what would Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. say and do about the current issues in our community? Today, as we celebrate Dr.King’s impact on our world, it’s a good time to reflect on our advocacy in the disability community. Most would agree that MLK would have something to say about the rallies and demonstrations around race and policing. Would he branch out and extend his hand to include the disability community in his work? I think he would. While some question, and even criticize efforts to widen the discussion of improved policing to include other disenfranchised groups, I believe Dr. King would be among the first to emphasize that #AllLivesMatter.
Originally posted by Stephanie Holland 1/9/14 I've been scouring the internet to try to find something that made sense to me. The first thing that jumped out at me was this quote. "as you go through life, no matter what you do, or how you do it, you leave a little footprint, and that's your legacy." This is one time that I am happy to be proven wrong! There was a great deal of "spirited debate" about Governor O'Malley's response to Emma's petition on Change.org. Some of us were disappointed that he only committed to one of the two requests: training, but not an independent investigation. Some thought "training" was meant to placate a grieving family - a political move more than a real solution. Some even thought training would be dangerous and serve to further stigmatize our loved ones. The Right Leadership I for one, was more hopeful about the Commission once I heard who was going to be at the helm. If anyone could take the opportunity and make the best of it - it was Tim Shriver.
Originally posted by Stephanie Holland 1/7/14 Remembering Ethan and his legacyOn Thursday we'll be participating in a "virtual toast" to Ethan by using the hashtag #Toast4Ethan on Twitter and everything else we post. Won't you join us? ?
Many of our community, when we hear the name Ethan Saylor, get a battle weary sensation tingling under the skin, and an ache that surrounds our heart. So much for “justice” and all that that implies…I know. I get it. However, I’m going to ask that you continue to read and keep talking about Ethan and I’ll tell you why. First, because change cannot come if people give up asking for it. Ethan’s life was too high a price to pay. Before the name Ethan Saylor came into my vision, I had no idea how unjust the system is when it comes to police accountability and inquiries. With all of the recent grand jury scrutinization, it is important that we keep talking about the need for independent investigations and how the death of Ethan Saylor at the hands of three off duty officers is not something to be swept under the rug; his life had value and those who stole him from his family and his community should be held accountable.
#JusticeForEthan must remind and rally us to hold officers accountable as we move forward. I wish I knew how to do this more concretely, but I hope if we keep talking about it we’ll find someone who can make this change. Have you read about Michael Bell and what his father has learned and done since his son was killed by police? Change doesn’t happen in silence. Well, actually, some change does happen in silence, and it is the scariest. We cannot allow silent changes, we have to be a part of the noise. David Perry speaks to the cult of compliance , his determination to voice on this subject ranges across platforms. Ethan’s life has been one of many, too many, to be lost without consequence. |
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