Category: Uncategorized
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Communities, Belonging and Authentic Inclusion
Regardless of whether a person has a disability or not, we all want to connect. We all want to have a ‘place’ where we belong. When I refer to the concept of place, I do not mean the bricks and mortar of…
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Can’t Versus Can: The case for teaching Self-Determination and Self-Sufficiency
There are volumes of literature about the transition to adult life and self-determination for people with disabilities. An article entitled “Advice from Adults with Physical Disabilities on Fostering Self-Determination during the School Years” sparked some reflections about my own upbringing. The definition…
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Challenge by Choice: Inclusion through Project Adventure
Back in 2011, I was walking to get my lunch and passed a young child whose face creased, turned into a scowl, and then the unmistakable question mark appeared. I caught the once over stare as they pulled on their caregiver’s sleeve.…
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The Roadrunner – A Famous Bird and A Memorable Race
The roadrunner is a bird made famous by its name and ability to run up to 20 miles per hour. While the Roadrunner can fly, it stays mostly on the ground. A roadrunner has long, wobbly legs and is often seen as…
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An Invisible Separateness
Our culture has introduced the idea of inclusion (age appropriate participation with our peers) for years. Laws support it, schools teach it, and many advocates work tirelessly to bring the concept of disability awareness, inclusion, and participation into schools, workplaces, and general…
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Black and Blue
I started to become aware of the existence of my disability through the stares and general lack of awareness of other people around the age of four. I did not feel different. I was just a girl who liked long dresses and…
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Beyond Disability and Disability Awareness
I have read too many articles that feature a story about an individual with a disability who has not been served or who has been turned away from a gym or some other public facility because staff did not know how to…
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Bullying Prevention
I turned on the television recently and watched yet another story about a person with a disability being bullied, victimized, and hurt. As I watched the story, I thought about times in middle school where I too was bullied. StopBullying.org defines bullying…
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Change Transitions
I recently read an article by Barbara J. Linney called “Surviving in a world of change.” Ms. Linney effectively illustrates that when unwanted change is thrust upon people, we experience a range of emotions. The emotions go from denial to anger, anger…
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Reflections about a Mustard Seed
Five years ago, I wrote this piece after reading an article titled The Struggle for Faith. Its premise still resonates deeply with me today. The author proposed that “unless we are content to be intellectually, logically, and spiritually static, we must move…