Okay, so I know I haven’t written in a while, but I’m sure we’ve all been busy parents. Back to school this year was a little different. Last year, we tried online public school at the beginning of Kindergarten. It was a good program, but it didn’t work out for us. This year, we took […]
Disabled Parenting
What Every Disabled Mother Should Know About Breastfeeding
Nicky Boyte was wearing a flowered sundress when I meet her to talk about her experience breastfeeding her son. The two of us zoom into the restaurant in our power chairs, swapping crip war stories as we settle in. Nicky’s been a disability advocate for years; she’s active with both ADAPT and Not Dead Yet. We […]
My Disability Is Not An Excuse for Bad Manners
Six months after being declared legally blind, the universe threw me the mother of all curve balls when I discovered I was pregnant. Adapting to my newly acquired disability while simultaneously preparing to become a mom was extremely overwhelming. I found myself in desperate need of emotional support. There was a time when I made […]
ADA Reflections: My Parenting Journey
When my daughter was born 22 years ago the Americans with Disabilities Act had already been passed in 1990. I had no awareness of the weight of this legislation or its impact on my life as a disabled person and parent. I also had no support system and was not affiliated with any local disability-related […]
My Experiences Parenting with the ADA…So Far
I was eight years old when the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. It has been the most significant piece of legislation in my life thus far. From parking to ramps in public places, every aspect of my life has been impacted by the ADA. As a mom, it has affected my life […]
Mother and Daughter – Same Disability, Different Experiences
Even though I am 52 years old, I do not think I have ever spent so much time pondering disability issues as I have since Emily, my daughter, started this blog. The conversations we have had before, during, and after she writes her posts have been illuminating and have further reinforced how her experiences growing […]
No One is an Island
“No man is an island unto themselves entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” -John Donne Never was the above statement truer than when it is applied to a family with disabilities. I am a disabled parent with a genetic condition which has also been passed […]
The ADA and Disabled Parenting: A Call to Action
Nearly 26 years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, proclaiming “Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down!”[1] In passing the ADA, with the purpose of lessening stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities, Congress avowed “the Nation’s proper goals […]
The ADA is Turning 26: My Rights as a Parent are Not Protected
Twenty-six years ago, through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our nation committed itself to eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities. Despite the tremendous progress we have made in improving the accessibility of our streets, buildings, and public transportation, the ADA has not protected the rights of parents with disabilities. The ADA and other disability […]
The Americans with Disabilities Act is turning 26: What does that mean for parents with disabilities?
Join the Disabled Parenting Project in celebrating the 26th anniversary of the ADA and its impact on parents with disabilities! Leading up to the anniversary, on July 26th, we plan to publish blog posts about the ADA and how it affects parents with disabilities. We are looking for parents, prospective parents, and professionals to write […]