The Voiceless Minority

One of the biggest misconceptions about disability is that just because one has a disability, one cannot learn. Pieces of legislation in recent history, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) and the Individualized Education Program (IEP), have mitigated this misconception to a degree but are they enough to break the glass ceiling that society has imposed on disabled individuals as a result of what they have been taught about disabilities in the first place? The term ‘glass ceiling’ is typically used in business settings, and it refers to the final position an individual reaches beyond which they are unable to advance despite having qualifications that make them eligible for higher-level positions. To be clear, this has to do with bias that exists in those environments, not necessarily the policies that are in place. However, for this piece, I will use it about those who have disabilities that have been, or are currently being, educationally stunted by those around ...

  Imagine that you are a photographer covering a story. You aren't the story's subject - your only purpose is to zoom in, adjust the settings, and click the button. The subject(s) of the photo are the story - they know what to expect and how to respond given the situation. However, you're not in the picture as the photographer - you're just observing. You aren't asked to be in the photo, let alone be involved in the story, outside of clicking the button. You see the final image, and you publish it online, and when people see it, they comment on the people within the photo and the event that occurred. That is what life is like from my perspective of being on the Autism spectrum - I am on the outside looking into neurotypical life.   Growing up, I didn't have many friends. In elementary school, I went to a Christian school. You would be incorrect if you think a Christian school is different from a public school in terms of how friendships are created. There w...

  In modern society, whether you are four or forty or somewhere in between, chances are you know someone with a disability. I have been blogging about disability-related issues for over eleven years, and I am just beginning. I have always thought that the earlier and more often people are exposed to disability in some form or another, the better; finally, a TV network agrees.   Okay, I am technically a little late to the party since one season has already aired. Still, I’m excited that the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, now just MAX, is bringing back a show called “Hop” designed to teach preschoolers about disabilities and differences.   The main character is a frog with only one leg. Along with its friends, Hop aims to teach preschoolers to embrace their own and others’ uniqueness. Recently, I wrote a blog about the need for disabilities to be prevalent in live theater, but this is even more crucial. Even though I don’t know much about the show, fr...