About 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, 1 in 54 boys. It is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. and I know that so many parents and relatives of young autistic children worry about how their children and loved ones will develop as they get older. That’s why I am so grateful … Read More
Good News About Down Syndrome
In recent years, modern academics have managed to recast “eugenics” as a positive term, distinguishing their vision from past government-mandated eugenics policies. The emphasis now is on “selective reproduction” and the parents’ “choice” to decide what kind of child they want to have. The result has been a search and destroy mission to wipe people with Down syndrome off … Read More
Teddy Kremer and the Reds: A Love Story
It was one of the most heartwarming moments of the 2013 baseball season. On April 18, after a pep-talk from his “best friend and greatest batboy,” Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier ripped a two-run homer to center field off John Maine, extending the Reds lead to 11-1 over the Miami Marlins in the sixth: I know there’s no crying … Read More
Enterprise Ethics
Warning: it’s about to get mighty nerdy up in here. One of my favorite television shows when I was younger was Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve been watching some old episodes of the series on Netflix and recently I was very surprised and impressed with an episode called “Ethics” and the way it dealt with the issue of disability … Read More
Disability, Service, and Stewardship
We have such a tendency to focus on everything that a disability takes away that we lose sight of all that is still possible. This is the 21st century, where there are incredible opportunities and advancements in medicine and technology that allow people with disabilities to live “normal”, productive and very active lives. Consider the case of Andy Phelps. At … Read More
Regional Emmy Nom. for Delightful Story Abt. Young Man With Down Syndrome
I am pleased to learn that a story I shared here a few months ago has been nominated for a Regional Emmy. It’s from my old hometown, my sister’s high school alma mater, specifically, about a young man with Down syndrome who is carrying on the tradition of a school legend: Giving The H from Tom Martin on Vimeo. Congrats … Read More
Wanting to Be Disabled?
My friend Mark Pickup weighs in on Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) and the story of Chloe Jennings-White that I shared last week. Jennings-White, you will recall, wants to pay some hack doctor tens of thousands of dollars to cut the sciatic and femoral nerves in her spinal cord because she “believes both of her legs do not belong to … Read More
One Small Voice Making a Big Difference
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -Galadriel, Lord of the Rings Kurt Kondrich writes about his daughter Chloe (shown here with PA Gov. Tom Corbett): Today there is a tiny hidden world of beautiful human beings with Down syndrome hidden in the womb who are being targeted and eliminated because a lost, misguided culture has … Read More
Germany Memorial Planned for Nazi Euthanasia Victims
This is good news: Work has begun on a memorial in Germany for the 300,000 people murdered by the Nazis for having mental and physical disabilities or chronic illnesses. A 30m (100ft) long glass wall is being built in the centre of Berlin, near the former site of the Nazi-era office that organised the “euthanasia” programme. In 1939, Adolf Hitler … Read More
Ecce Homo
I quoted this last week, but it goes very well with the events we are celebrating this weekend: “The messiah has consented to a way of limitation, of embodiment that can be bound, injured and killed as the way to define ‘the man.’ … “When we see or experience limitation, even impairment, we should not think, ‘behold, the monster,’ but … Read More