Spring Break 2017 was spent touring the District of Columbia with an emphasis on National Parks Service sites. Here is the first of three posts inspired by that trip. This post is a rundown of the sites we visited and some of the highlights at each. The next post will have a message for new and expectant parents based on this trip. The final post will seek to learn from these history lessons and apply them to modern day advocacy efforts by and on behalf of those with Down syndrome. Continue Reading
February 2, 2017
Our Story: A tale of two disability support programs
Dickens wrote "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times". In the past 48 hours, I've experienced when a system designed to support individuals with disabilities functions optimally and when it functions absurdly. Continue Reading
January 19, 2017
Our Story: The Long Arc of History Bending Towards Justice
For Martin Luther King, Jr.'s national holiday, my kids and I toured seven National Park Service sites. They illustrated the truth of Dr. King's wisdom that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. Continue Reading
August 11, 2016
Our story: what we saw & learned at Western Pennsylvania NPS sites
This past weekend was the last before school began. So, we set out to Western Pennsylvania to check off a few more National Park Services sites in my kids' passport books. Continue Reading
June 1, 2016
Our Story: An Open Thank You Note to My Daughter’s Elementary School
I'm of the generation whose mothers made them write thank you notes for gifts received. Consider this an open thank you note to the gift my daughter's elementary school gave her and us. Continue Reading
April 8, 2016
Our story: Becoming a National Park Service Junior Ranger
Here are some photos from our 2016 Spring Break trip and how Juliet and James became Junior Rangers many times over. Continue Reading
February 25, 2016
Our story: juvenile attitudes towards people with Down syndrome
A hike through Cumberland Gap National Historical Park provided a teachable moment. Continue Reading
February 4, 2016
Our story: IQ, IEPs, & Injustice
Yesterday, I attended a three-hour IEP meeting for my daughter. It demonstrated the systematic injustice that disables those it labels disabled. Continue Reading
December 23, 2015
Our story: A compliment at Chick-fil-A
A stop on a roadtrip, and the simplest of compliments, reminded me of how good some people can be towards others, particularly those who happen to have Down syndrome. Continue Reading
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