We are all responsible for the state of our society
Family & friends, I want to talk to YOU... I’ve received a sobering reality check & rude awakening this week – After seeing countless unacceptable, inhumane, heartbreaking, and naïve posts/comments flooding my social media, regarding those with disabilities (more specifically this week & targeting those with down syndrome); it’s shed a light on the state we are in as a society (and it does NOT look pretty)! It has shown me; (generally speaking) much of our society & world is not at all inclusive for those living with disabilities. We are not living in the 1800’s (where there was little to no info. about this) yet, there is still such a lack of supportive involvement, compassion, education, and acceptance, in our mainstream humanity. The thinking from so many I’ve observed is skewed, sour, unrealistic, and an outdated perspective regarding those with down syndrome & other special needs.
Most of my friends and family may know I have a daughter diagnosed with different special needs; but likely don’t know the continual fight to advocate and push through the road blocks that seem endless; day in and day out. I share this with you to shed light on what our journey looks like and for the hope you can get a better understanding altogether. You may or may not be seeing much of the news coverage (see link below), depending upon whether or not your friends are sharing the comments targeted specifically at their child. In my case, since founding the nonprofit, Limitless Ability (which supports all those in the lives of children with special needs); I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know literally hundreds of people walking similar paths in the special needs community. When people you love are celebrating, you rejoice with them! When they are hurting, you also hurt. Right now, I feel the pain of many. If you were to look at my social media news feed from this past week, you would see many more posts like Annie Reid’s (who has two beautiful daughters with down syndrome). She writes: “My heart hurts tonight. With the news feature about eliminating Down syndrome in Iceland, a whole new level of internet trolls has come out of the woodwork. Their comments show the absolute worst in humanity. Most of you probably aren't seeing it, but those of us that have children with Down syndrome are having our news feeds filled with hate. Hate that goes so far to say our children should be aborted, they have no lives or value to the population, that the quality of lives of dogs are more valuable than our children, and at least their dogs are potty trained compared to our worthless kids. It is real life, Hilter type hate and the amount of people agreeing with it is astonishing. They are posting these un-fathomable words on pictures of my friend's children. I have never taken a break from social media, but this day has me seriously debating some time away. My girls are pure joy. I shouldn't ever for a second have to read about or explain why their lives matter…” Many other friends, also shared similar experiences; things I don't even want to repeat because it's so ugly. These are things that have filled my feed from my own friends, directed specifically towards them, their children -- I'm not talking about one post that went viral, I'm talking many individuals experiencing this. This…It’s why I created a space for friends & family to get educated on special needs. A place for parents, teachers, & care providers to find support and the resources they need in order to thrive in their journey. It’s why I advocate for my daughter, those with special needs, educate, and speak up. It’s part of what has fueled me to have the Limitless Ability Organization becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit – To make resources & necessary support EASILY available to those in the special needs community! Sure we could just keep scrolling…at least when we are on the internet… But I’m not just talking about the latest news reporting’s on Iceland “Eliminating Down Syndrome” through abortion (although this has definitely been a contributing factor to the blow up of negativity online); It goes beyond this. It’s the thinking, the mindset, and the comments I’ve received about my own daughter (even from my own family members), or what so many of my friends have sadly been told and endured just because their child is living with down syndrome (or another medical diagnosis), or the reasons I’m moving my family to a different school district, and so on and so on! We could ignore the fact that so many people in our society believe and are saying it’s not ok for these kids to have life or that they are worthless, that they should be euthanized, and so forth. You could try to justify it all in your mind and come up with some sort of excuse to not do anything. Maybe by tomorrow or next week, you forget you even read this and go on living your life. We could pretend that there are no real consequences to what is happening. This is an important subject to address. It does have real consequences. If we choose to ignore the state we are in as a whole and don’t start changing to becoming more: inclusive, accepting, compassionate, knowledgeable, supportive, and involved; we are not doing justice. We wouldn’t be fully successful in training up the next generation. It would show we don’t value diversity or each other’s unique qualities that contribute to us functioning as a whole. We would miss out on invaluable relationships, connections, and so much more.
Listen! We can’t just ignore the place we are at, in society – Or nothing changes!
Many of you don’t live with or have much interaction with those who have special needs, so you don’t pay much attention to it; and I get it – if It’s not in your direct life, it’s easy not to! However,
the responsibility for the state of our society falls on ALL of us, not just some of us!
Imagine these things being said to you about your child - They are worthless, you are selfish for allowing them to be born, their life has less value then a dog, they are not of good quality, etc. These statements offensive and hurtful; but they are also lies! This is not the truth of these children and these parents know it! This is not their view of their kids, but these are just a sliver of what is currently taking place in our society and we need to take a stand for what is right. A person is no less a person just because of a disability or deformation or special need or some medical diagnosis. We need to have a mind-shift in our society, so there can also be a shift in the actions of how we treat others. I believe by hearing each other, gaining understanding, and educating, we can grow more towards a supportive & inclusive world! Let's take the control away from the media, from the nay-sayers, and the negative talk! TRUTH is: YOU have purpose. YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made. YOU are so valuable that YOU are invaluable! YOU are loved. YOU are unique. YOU are beautiful. YOU are limitless.
and so am I. and so is each person.
I want to shed a light on the truth, but let's not stay in the ditch - let's link together and climb out! There are so many LITTLE things that you can do, that makes HUGE impacts! Love is always a great place to start! Feel free to take a look at these links to get involved and learn more about those in the special needs community; and if you aren’t a part of my Limitless Ability FB Group yet, I invite you to come be a part! It’s for anyone who believes they would benefit! (Even if you just want to learn more!) Limitless Ability FB Group (community of all those involved in children with varying special needs) 27 Secrets Special Needs Moms Don't Tell (Highly recommend reading!) Limitless Ability Website (resources for families & teachers, events, care provider directory, etc.) Limitless Ability Blog Spot (on life, diagnoses, family, school, advocating) You can view the News Report CBS has aired, “What kind of society do you want to live in?: Inside the country where down syndrome is disappearing”
