A Story of REAL Awareness
Once upon a time there was an Awareness Month (and an Awareness Day) for people with a disability. It was launched at the behest of one of the biggest and loudest organizations concerned with those disabled people, but they were soon joined by many other organizations worldwide and the Awareness Day was soon celebrated with activities across the globe.
And for all that there were ribbons and walks and films and public service announcements, it WAS a celebration! Parents and adult self-advocates stood side by side to fight against the widespread misinformation and discrimination they faced and to find means by which they could live independantly and with dignity. Moreover, they dedicated much of their time to showcasing the ways that the disabled people contributed to the community and celebrating their rich variety of interests, skills, and hopes. Parents were inspired to "aim high" and believe in their children, and the children themselves saw the successes of others like them and were inspired to take pride in themselves. "Awareness" didn't mean fear-mongering or pity or calls for a cure; it meant love and acceptance and demands for respect. And even though the medical establishment still portrayed them as a tragedy, and even though the media maybe didn't really pay them as much attention as it could have, it was still a time of great joy and solidarity because they knew that bit by bit, they were making a difference.
The End.
..an idle daydream? A vision of what Autism Awareness Month could become, one day?
Maybe.
But it's also a true story.
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thauts) wrote,
hopeful
