> In a message dated 02/15/2000 9:53:28 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << I just wanted to say that I've found it pretty easy to be comfortable
> as a parent in the disability community. I know there's hostility
> toward us as non-disabled parents, but I can also see and understand
> where that comes from. I think it helps me be a better parent to both
> of my sons (one with cp, one without). So I guess the only thing I
> "need" from you guys is for you to talk more! :)
> >>
>
> I'm sorry to hear that you have felt hostility Michelle. This doesn't make
> any sense because -- in my not-so-humble opinion -- the disability community
> has a responsibility to be supportive of you. Everybody is different though,
> and of course PWDs aren't going to think alike just like nobody thinks
> exactly alike.
Well, first off, it doesn't make sense to you bc it's people we're talking
about! ;) The hostility I referred to, I don't take personally. After all,
they don't even know me or my situation!
> What do you think is the cause of the hostility? Is it because people think
> that since you are not disabled that you can't understand your child's issues
> -- or is it something else, or a combination of things?
Yes, I think it's a combination of things, some I can't put my finger on.
And on a more personal level, since my son's expressive vocabulary is so
small, I can't say I understand him and his issues either. I wonder, if
he could talk to me more, would I feel the same way?
You know what though? In thinking about it, I've also encountered some
hostility from the nondisabled community simply because I'm a parent.
Maybe it's the crowd I hang out with, but I've heard friends of friends
say some pretty harsh things about people who procreate. So it's not like
the disability community is any more hostile than the general population,
imho.
Michelle M. Law
Cerebral Institute of Discovery http://www.cerebral.org
A not-for-profit organization archiving and promoting
multi-disciplinary brain research.
|
