Columnist raps public ‘intolerance for imperfection’
October 10th, 2008Writing in the American Spectator, Daniel Allott says high rates of selective abortion of fetuses with Down syndrome reveal “a culture increasingly unaccepting and intolerant of children with developmental disabilities, who often face brutal and sometimes deadly prejudice.”
Allott says a fundamental misconception about the lives of people with intellectual disabilities is at the root of prejudice against them. He says the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, signed this week by the president, is needed to give parents accurate information about what it’s like to raise a child with a developmental disability. An excerpt:
People with developmental disabilities challenge our view of the world. Because they require more patience and self-giving, they can be sources of growth, tolerance, joy and hope to those they encounter. Unlocking these powerful truths is especially important in a time when superficial, exploitative and selfish relationships have become all too common.
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on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am and is filed under Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, abortion, genetics, prenatal diagnosis, public attitudes, selective termination.
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October 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I have to respectfully disagree with Allott. When was this magical era in American history when children with disabilities were unquestioningly accepted? I see far more children with mental and/or physical disabilities being mainstreamed nowadays than I saw a couple decades ago. Hooray for that! I’m appalled by the general perception that disabled people lead miserable, pathetic lives.
But I’m almost as annoyed when people attempt to counter that view with broad, treacly visions of disabled life. Yes, disabled people can be “sources of growth, tolerance, joy and hope.” So can anyone. Raising a disabled child does require more effort than raising a “normal” child. Not all would-be parents have that in them to give.
I don’t judge anyone who decides to abort because of disability. I think fighting that issue is a waste of time and resources — resources that could be directed towards providing accessibility and equality to people who are already alive!