“I stepped in front of her to ‘shield’ her from their questioning, gaping eyes.”
‘Don’t stare at my little girl.’: Mom of ‘differently abled’ daughter pleas others to ‘diversify your feed’
Dear Parents, Please Teach Your Children About Diversity
“We unintentionally teach them to be uncomfortable with people that are different.”
‘You must love YOURSELF.’ At 4, she leans down so I hear her. I teach her about my difficulties, and free us from shame.’: Woman with hearing impairment describes ‘pure, deep, powerful’ motherhood
“My greatest love story has been motherhood. I’d been living my life in the dark, allowing negative thoughts about my disability to hold me back. Having her has healed me.”
‘Hey look, it’s Two-Face!’ I’d come to school with purple burn dots. I felt like I was going through the pain for others.’: Woman with Sturge Weber Syndrome becomes advocate, ‘We aren’t scary monsters or villains’
“I was held down, screaming for them to stop. With each snap, a dot was burned onto the skin to break up the blood vessels of the birthmark. It was then I walked away from the world of wanting to look like everyone else.”
‘There’s a tumor around your spine.’ I was SO scared. ‘Have you tried wheelchair basketball? I was afraid to mess up.’: Wheelchair athlete inspires others, ‘I’m driven to be the best’
“I struggled to move my legs and had a persistent cough. ‘It’s her spine.’ I adapted in different ways to find my path.”
‘My daughter was born different, but her. life. is. not. sad.’: Special needs mom urges ‘normalize disabilities’
“Don’t just be kind, be inclusive. Be friends.”
‘Today my little sister received her school yearbook. She was intentionally left out due to her differences in ability.’: Sister to student with Down syndrome advocates for inclusion, ‘There is no excuse’
“Since the 2,500+ students and faculty didn’t get the honor of seeing Glenda’s yearbook photo, at least the internet can.”
‘Today social media attacked autism. It mocked, insulted, and made fun of people like my boy.’: Mom to son with autism responds to ‘ugly’ TikTok challenge
“My boy is only 4 years old and his battles are just beginning. The bullying hasn’t come to him. Yet. I want to believe his battles will be small, just like he is now. But today I let the ugly in the world get the better of me.”
‘I plummeted 3 stories from my apartment balcony. My hand grazed the railing. I tried to catch myself, but it was too late.’: Woman paralyzed after faulty balcony accident, ‘I take each day with gratitude’
“The surgeon explained, ‘Your spine is a mush. You’ll be lucky if you wake up functioning.’ I couldn’t feel from the neck down. ‘Have I been in a car accident?’ No one had the heart to tell me. I just kept thinking, ‘Eh, I’ll be alright. They don’t know what they’re talking about.’ I cried and swept it under the rug. Little did I know, my body was a newborn again. I learned what dead weight felt like. I’d hear, ‘Oh, that’s sad. She’s so beautiful.’ My life turned upside down.”
‘They were born like this. There is nothing we can do.’ They were tied to beds, drugged, covered in bruises. I couldn’t accept that answer.’: Woman helps dozens of abused, disabled children find loving homes, preaches ‘every child has value’
“I entered the orphanage. Hundreds of children were living there, but the halls were silent, expect the occasional wail or moan. I saw skeletal bodies, empty eyes, smelly diapers. I heard doctors calling them ‘disasters.’ One child had a sack of fluid coming from the back of her skull. It was her brain, and it was leaking fluid. Children were covered in cigarette burns. I couldn’t believe my eyes. And I couldn’t look away. I knew I had to help.”
