Strollerderby : disabilities

Sights of the Circus Extended to Visually-Impaired

JeanneSager — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:20:00 GMT

There's a long list of childhood pleasures visually impaired kids are forced to miss out on because of their disability. The circus doesn't have to be one of them.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the folks that lay claim to the Greatest Show on Earth, have done one pretty great thing for kids. They've added a "Blind Touch Tour" to their schedule, allowing visually-impaired kids their own day at the circus, a day when the kids get to go behind the scenes, have a meet and greet with the performers, even try out the equipment and don clown suits.

Reminding me of the post our own Strollerderby blogger Amy wrote last year about AMC Theatres new showings for kids with autism, a CNN piece about the Ringling Bros. efforts highlights how important it is that every child have access to the rites of passage of childhood. Not every kid makes it to the circus during their childhood, but they should. They should see the clowns up close and personal (if only so they can make up their mind to be freakishly terrified of them for the rest of their lives!) and watch the trapeze artists fly with the greatest of ease.

For the visually-impaired, in particular, the Ringling Bros. touch and feel show is the only way they could experience the circus - they can't watch on the internet or tv the way an autistic child or a child with cerebral palsy could.They need to grab hold of a clown's nose, sit atop the giant motorcyle, smell the elephant poop (OK, maybe not that last one - but that's part of the circus experience too!).

I couldn't find anything about the tour on the Ringling Bros. Website, but if you're getting a craving for a circus visit, you can see when they're coming to your town.

Image: CNN

Disabled TV Star Scaring Tots?

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:25:00 GMT

A British television channel has been getting flack from parents over the decision to allow a woman born without a hand to star in a kids TV show.

They say the kids are scared. I say the parents need to get over it.

Cerrie Burnell took over a segment of the popular show Bedtime Hour last month, and parents have been threatening to boycott the show. Some say their kids are afraid while others claim the TV show used a sort of reverse discrimination in its decision to hire Burnell.

The Daily Mail says Burnell was born without an arm and calls her the "one-armed presenter," but a look at the picture of her shows she was actually born without a hand - she actually has most of her arm. To be honest, even if she had NO arm, I don't see the problem.

She's a human being. And kids are going to run into someone with a disability somewhere, some day. What better place to make the introduction than in the safe environs of a much-loved television show? Here in the states, Sesame Street makes it a point to invite guests with disabilities to take part in the show, exposing kids to people in wheelchairs or with Down syndrome, folks who are blind, even other kids with disabilities. The message is clear - they have a disability . . . so what? There's no reason to treat them differently, and kids need to get that message early.

What's more - little kids might be curious about something different about another person, but being afraid of differences is a learned response. If parents react poorly - like the folks who claim their kids won't be able to sleep if they watch the show - it's no wonder their kids are scared. They're training them to think that there's something scary about the woman on TV. The same goes for the parent who says their child keeps asking about the woman's arm. They're turning to you for guidance, Mom. Provide it. Answer their questions. Be honest. Tell them that there's nothing to be afraid of, and take advantage of a smiling, happy face to put to the disability as you face the challenge of teaching your kids about acceptance and tolerance

Unless it's really the parents who are afraid?

Image: Daily Mail

Special Ed Kids Left Behind During School Evacuation

Jen Chaney — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:02:00 GMT

School administrators have to make some extremely tough decisions every day. But in the aftermath of countless, violent tragedies that have happened in our nation's high schools, deciding what to do in the wake of a bomb threat should be simple: you evacuate the building until police give the all-clear. End of story.

Well, that's not what happened at a high school in Texas, where the entire student body was required to leave except for the kids in a pair of special ed classrooms. As reported in this story, found via MomLogic, everyone at Hays High School in Buda, Tex., exited the premises about two hours after an anonymous caller phoned the school on Jan. 29 and said four pipe bombs were on campus. The students were required to stay outside for about an hour while police did a sweep. Meanwhile the eight special ed students stayed put in their rooms, based on the principal's assessment that it was too cold for some of the more physically challenged kids to remain outside for an extended period of time.

It's very easy to second guess a decision like this, especially when we don't know what other factors may have influenced the principal's judgment. That said, based on the facts presented here, this seems like a terribly insensitive call. For starters, it was 47 degrees out on the day this happened. Now I realize that in Texas, that might seem chilly, but those are hardly life-threatening conditions. And if some of the special ed students are particularly sensitive to cold, it seems that other precautions -- circulating them in and out of cars with the heat, on or sending them to another location (maybe a local library?) -- could have addressed that issue. In fact, I'd take it a step further and say that kids with physical disabilities, especially those who need extra assistance to leave the school, should have gotten out of there first, to give them a head start.

The bomb threat turned out to be unfounded. But in a situation like this, you have to assume it's real, which is exactly why the parents of those left-behind children are really angry. Other parents also aren't happy because no action was taken until two hours after the threat was made. The local sheriff's office is investigating and some of parents were scheduled to meet yesterday with the principal. I suspect she got an earful.

Image: Upslopes.com

Should Autistic Children Be Separated From Other Kids?

Brett Singer — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:30:00 GMT

The Disabled Politico blog raises an interesting question regarding Magi Klages, the 8-year-old girl who was kicked out of her Brownie troop after an incident that stems from her autism.

Basically, they wonder if having a separate "disabled kids' troop" is a good idea. "Regardless of the intention, the segregation of children with disabilities teaches all children the wrong message." I tend to agree. But a commenter on the site counters with the following: "Mainstreaming is a wonderful concept. The execution leaves a lot to be desired."

I remember a public service ad that aired many years ago starring Tony Danza (formerly of 'Taxi' and other roles). The tag line was the following: "How do you treat a person with a disability? Like a person!" In the ad, if I recall correctly, the disabilities were of the "in a wheelchair" rather than the "bites self" variety. I feel strongly that everyone deserves a chance to be in whatever situation they want to be in. Obviously it won't always work, and not just with autism. If I had wanted to join the track and field team in high school, that wouldn't have worked either, because I was a really slow runner and in less than stellar physical condition. (As opposed to the speedy Adonis I am now.) And another commenter on the site points out that Magi, "already was in an integrated troop, then her parents took her out of that one and put her in a segregated troop, then the segregated troop's leader kicked her out." Interesting point, that.

I admit to being not completely convinced that either solution is perfect. On the one hand, segregation is wrong, yes? Everyone should be given the same opportunities. On the other hand, what if a child really won't thrive in a particular environment? Is it fair to expect them to stick it out just because we think it's "the right thing to do"? And to slingshot back the other way, how long can you separate a kid from the mainstream before mainstreaming them becomes too great a challenge? What do you think? Is it better to keep "special needs" kids separate from everyone else? Or does that send the wrong message to everyone, special needs or no?

Source: disaboom.com

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Autistic Girl Kicked Out Of Girl Scouts

Brett Singer — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

This is messed up.

Magi Klages, an 8 year old autistic girl, has been a Girl Scout since she was 6. According to ABC News, her "Brownie troop grew too large". So they put her in a smaller troop with only four other girls, all of whom have special needs.

She was kicked out on the first day after she "threw a fit...biting herself and running out of the circle." The troop leader told Magi's parents that she was a "danger" to the other members and would no longer be welcome.

Her mother, Michele Klages, is understandably upset. Michele says that Magi was, at worst, only a danger to herself, and that reactions like Magi's are not unusual for autistic children.

A Girl Scouts of America spokeswoman, Michelle Tompkins, said that Magi being kicked out of the troop was "terrible". A spokeswoman for the local chapter of the Girl Scouts (Wisconsin Southeast) did not respond to ABC News, according to the article.

The Scouts and Magi's parents are looking for a new troop for Magi, which is probably for the best. But it seems extremely unfair to boot the little girl out after the first day. I'm not saying the other children weren't scared; I wasn't there of course, but I can imagine the situation and I'm sure it was uncomfortable. But the first day? I'm not saying there should be a "three strikes" policy or anything like that, but give the kid a chance. According to ABC News, "the Girl Scouts has been historically open to anyone and prides itself on its anti-discrimination policies." I guess not everyone got the memo.

Source: ABC News via Disabled Politico (thanks to a reader for the tip!)

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Retarded movie boycott

Brett Singer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:45:00 GMT

So – how do you get disparate groups representing the mentally challenged to get together on something?

Release a movie that makes gratuitous use of the word 'retard'.

That's what "Tropic Thunder" does, and some people are fighting mad about it. Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, told the New York Times that a boycott of the film, "Not only might…happen, it will happen."

What's their beef? Well, Ben Stiller plays a character named Tugg Speedman. Tugg appeared in a film called "Simple Jack", which was about "a mindless dolt" (according to the New York Times). Tugg did "Simple Jack" in an attempt to win an Oscar and show off his acting chops. Apparently there is "an off-color discussion with Robert Downey Jr.'s character about the merits of going 'full retard' for a role in the pursuit of Oscar gold."

This isn't the first complaint about "Thunder." There was a fake promotional web site for "Simple Jack" that included the line, "Once upon a time there was a retard." The site is now gone, presumably because of the outcry from various groups. That didn't appease them, though; Defamer says the demands were, "Paramount/DreamWorks should pull all scenes and clips that include Ben Stiller’s portrayal of Simple Jack from the movie, DVD, trailers, promotional material and merchandising" – um, yeah, and the executives will come over and do your laundry while giving you a foot massage. Defamer also mentions "Sean Penn's grossly condescending role in 'I Am Sam'", which makes me wonder why it's OK for someone to make a movie with a mentally challenged character, but it's not OK to make a movie that makes fun of someone for making a movie about a mentally challenged character. (Now say that ten times fast.) You know, as a joke. Anyone who saw even the trailer for 'Radio' will probably know what's being poked at. ("Tropic Thunder" screenwriter Justin Theroux explains what he and Stiller were trying to do here.)

So it's a joke, and as near as I can tell, the only group being made fun of is actors. The problem seems to be the very use of the word "retard." The n-word is verboten (but that doesn't stop movies featuring racist characters from getting made). You don't hear a lot of the f-a-g-g-o-t word, although "gay" is still thrown around a lot. Should "the r-word" be added to the list of words we can't say, or does everyone need to lighten up?

image: Defamer

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Xtreme Wheelchairing for Teens?

Karen Murphy — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:32:00 GMT

We all know the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" but how many of us really live it?

Enter the [brave new] world of hard-core sitting. To you and me, that's doing skateboarding-type tricks. But while from a wheelchair. Which is why you have to see the story of 16-year-old Aaron Fotheringham, born with spina bifida. Oh, and he is also the first person to do a backflip.

In a wheelchair. Awesome.

Not to mention the fact that Aaron does tricks easily that I'll never be able to do in a million years, wheelchair or no. I don't think I'll ever look at a kid in a wheelchair quite the same way after seeing this. I'm sure Aaron is inspiring to a lot of other kids. How many 16-year-olds can say that?

Photo: ww1.prweb.com

[via Parentricity]

Obese Man Unfit Parent?

Kelly Mills — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:32:00 GMT

When Gary Stocklaufer went forward with the legal process to adopt a baby from a cousin who couldn't care for the child, he didn't really expect any problems. After all, he's a state-certified foster parent, and he has another adopted son. Baby Max's biological mother had already signed over parental rights to Stocklaufer and his wife, and they had been raising the li'l one for three months. But a family court judge ruled the couple aren't fit parents, and Max was taken away from them. Stocklaufer says he was discriminated against because he is obese--he weighs 500 pounds.

Check it: "'It's out-and-out discrimination,' Stocklaufer said. 'We don't have a checkered past. We don't have a rap sheet, like a lot of people do. We don't have any cases of abuse.'" Oh, and the judge happened to be the same judge who granted them adoption with their first son, Bobby.

Before anyone leaps in with "Oh, how can an obese parent do all the stuff necessary to raise a child, like run after a toddler, blah blah blah" I'll tell you that many parents with physical disabilities do just fine, so there. And I get real sick of fat discrimination, it's this messed up puritanical body-worship crap in our society. A few docs have offered free gastric bypass surgery to Stocklaufer. But why should he have to go through all that just to adopt a baby he already loves?

Parents of Kids With Special Needs Discriminated Against at Work

Karen Murphy — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:32:00 GMT

Most parents I know who have kids with special needs (defined as having behavioral or physical issues) don't think too much about their plight, or about it being much different from the plight of any other parent. Therapy? Okay. Medical appointments? Got it. A hospital stay because of open-heart surgery? You just do what you have to do, that's all. Sure, you might wish an easier life for your child, but there's not a lot of "poor me" going on, at least not in my experience.

But what if the very fact that you have a child with special needs adversely affects your ability to get or keep a job? Which clearly impacts your family's financial bottom line? And that's what's going on for many parents in this very position. So not only do you likely have increased medical/ therapeutical expenses, but you're also penalized financially in the workplace. "Behavioral, developmental and medical problems make it difficult to find child care, and fitting medical appointments and therapy schedules around work requires flexible hours and understanding employers." And often, employers are unwilling or unable to be flexible enough, which means that parents have to cut working hours to attend to their children. More than 5% of Maine parents in an upcoming study said they'd actually been fired over their situation involving their child.

We're all aware of discrimination toward pregnant women in the workplace, but this? Clearly, parents of all kinds need better support. And with one in ten Maine children reported as having a diagnosed disability or chronic health condition (up 30% from 1992 to 2005), I'm guessing that the numbers are similar in other areas. Which translates into a lot of parents impacted by the lack of support for them and their children, and a lot of families impacted adversely as a result.

What about you? Any horror stories to share?

Lots of Dolls With Disabilities

Kelly Mills — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:23:00 GMT

Working at programs for college students with disabilities taught me two important things: One, you should never assume someone's disability is a good reason to pity them, and two, people with disabilities probably experience more discrimination than any other group. So I love this round-up of dolls with disabilities. Most of them come with accessories such as wheelchairs, arm braces, or darkened glasses, and some have things like prosthetic limbs or physical rehab equipment. A few are undergoing chemotherapy. They also come in a variety of ethnicities.

While these dolls are designed to be a companion to the child with a disability so that he or she has a toy that looks like him or her, I think they'd be great for all kids. If discrimination poses the biggest limitations for folks, then helping all kids become comfortable with disabilities at an early age could go a long way. I know my child was highly jealous of my co-worker's wheelchair. And my Deaf colleagues jokingly referred to a hearing friend who didn't know sign language as "signing impaired," so there you go.

Sure, But Can You Change a Diaper with Your Feet?

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:11:00 GMT

I have a lot of skills that I have acquired since becoming a parent. As a parent of twins I have become a master of doing two things at once. I have become ambidextrous. I can multi-task like nobody's business. In fact, right now I am blogging, feeding kids breakfast and watching "Blue's Clues". (Okay, maybe it doesn't take much skill to eat and watch "Blue's Clues" at the same time, but you get my point.)

When I was pregnant with the Goon Squad I was huge. Once I hit about 20 weeks I was unable to bend over at all. This made simple tasks like doing laundry very difficult. I learned how to pick things up with my bare feet. This aptitude came in very handy when the kids were little. You never know when you might be holding two kids at once and somebody might drop a teddy bear.

I am proud of my foot savvy. Or, I was proud of it. I can't do this:

We found this over at Alpha Mummy. The mother in this video blows my mind. I think this is a fantastic illustration of how much parents have to adapt when our children are born.

The Ashley Treatment: Now Everyone Wants it

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:37:00 GMT

By now I'm sure you have all heard the story about the disabled little girl in Seattle who was given a hysterectomy and is given hormones to keep her small. Ashley was born with brain damage and will never walk. Her parents elected to have this done to her so she would be easier to carry and care for. They were also told that it would keep her more comfortable and she would end up with less bedsores if she never reached full size.

Although doctors believe Ashley will have a normal life expectancy she will remain the size of a six year old.

The story is sad. Nobody ever likes to hear stories about a child who is so disabled that their quality of life will be enhanced by not growing. I am not going to judge Ashley's parents. I have no idea what I would do in this situation. I know that her parents got so much attention that they keep their own website to stay in touch with the public. (They also allow us to use pictures as long as we link back to them).

The amazing thing is that her doctors are receiving requests from other parents of disables children to repeat the procedure. I guess it makes sense to them. What do you think?