Writing in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, David M. Perry says he had hoped that Trig Palin’s presence in the limelight might  bring hope to families of children with disabilities. Instead, he says, the national conversation has focused on Sarah Palin’s decision not to have an abortion — a focus that isn’t helpful to families of kids with disabilities, nor to expectant parents who are fearful about disability.

Choosing life is not about what happens in utero, but about what follows. Choosing life is about knowledge. It’s about training doctors and nurses how to talk to expectant parents. Most of all, it’s about providing an antidote to fear by changing the perception of disability. That’s where Trig’s voice, even before he learns to talk, needs to be heard. But his voice is being drowned out by the partisan hubbub of people from both parties who are focused on the single issue of abortion. Let’s change, or at least expand, the message.

What I want is a serious national conversation about raising children with disabilities — the way that government, schools, churches, doctors, HMOs, and most of all friends and families can help us.

… Let’s talk about the federal mandates that order, but do not fund, early intervention. Let’s talk about universal health care and special education. Let’s talk about how to help our children find meaningful lives as adults. Most of all, let’s talk about ways to ensure that everyone sees people with Down syndrome as, first and foremost, just people. Then we can get to work on the syndrome.

David M. Perry is the father of a 2-year-old boy with Down syndrome and an assistant professor of history at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm and is filed under Campaign 2008, NOT2BEMISSED, abortion, commentary, health care, selective termination, special education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post