Inclusion!
Denise, my wife of 44 years, collects Barbie dolls. While she played with Barbie dolls as a child, she did not begin collecting them until just a few years ago. And she doesn't collect every Barbie, or vintage Barbies, or random Barbies; she collects Barbies with disabilities. Denise was born with cerebal palsy. She is the only person I have ever met who remembers learning how to walk because she did not walk until she was four. Only in the last few years has she had the option to purchase a Barbie that reflected who she was.
Did you know Hot Wheels now makes a diecast mini wheelchair? Like their cars, it has no 'driver', letting the child (or adult) collecting it imagine whatever they want. There are a handful of brands that represent disability within their toys, and more brands that are now making toys designed to accommodate the needs of kids with differences. You might actually see a person using a wheelchair or with Down's Syndrome in a commercial (Forget about most other disabilities that are not easily recognizable by the general public.) And it's only taken us thirty-five years to get to a place of limited visibility.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was signed into law in 1974, and in 1977 mandates requiring that services be offered in the most intergrated way possible became law. Like so much of the civil rights framework designed to create an inclusive society, the Trump administration has abandoned those principles. By refusing to defend the federal mandate of the law in court, the administration gave a federal judge the cover to eliminate the provisions related to integration of services. This means that states can choose to only provide services to persons with disabilities in congregant settings if they choose, rather than in the most publicly integrated setting possible. Decades of research have determined it is actualy less expensive tohelp people live as members of their community (mainstreamed in schools, living in publicly available housing with supports, etc) than forcing them into congregant settings (facilities) but the trump admin wants to turn back the clock.
They are gutting environmental protections and ending disparate impact accountability.
What the hell are they afraid of?
We cannot abide cruelty. Let your vote reflect that. Happy Election Day!
Learn more about my novels at www.jeffersonblackburnsmith.com.
Comments