The Lovely and Amazing Emily Elizabeth has recently become one of the regular contributors at Disaboom.com, a new site designed by and for people with disabilities.
Disaboom.com “is an all encompassing community that meets basic needs, but also educates its audience about their conditions and strives to improve the overall quality of their lives. Disaboom.com’s goal is to become the single most important website for those living with disabilities.”
You can read Emily Elizabeth’s new post, “But She Doesn’t Look Like She Has Down Syndrome” here.
The post reminds me of a time when Avery was a baby. Whenever we went out, I was constantly scanning faces, trying to see if people could “tell” about Avery, or not. It became a bit of an obsession, trying to make sure that he always looked tidy, and had clean eyes and ears, and a not-crusty nose, and a cute outfit. I think I had it in my head that one of the things I could do for him was to show people he was cared for, and loved, and that the way he looked might communicate these facts.
Looking back on it now, it seems a bit silly. But I think my silliness speaks to the way our society judges people, which is often by the way we look.
Me, too. I remember trying to decide if people “knew” the whole first year of his life!
Now – I’m more surprised if someone does see…
I don’t think it’s silly at all. The prejudice IS out there, and if we present our children in their best light, we have a better chance of counteracting it. People are more likely to give our children a chance to overcome the bias against them if they look appealing.
We shouldn’t *have* to do it. It isn’t fair. But I don’t think it’s silly either.
wow !!
its very reasonable point of view.
Good post.
realy good post
thx