January 28- Perspectives on Disability and Illness- Speaker

Wow. Where to being? This lecture might be one of my favorites, I am making an early assumption since the class is only a few lectures in, but people with disabilities speaks close to my heart. I feel that the public should do more about spreading the word of how these humans were once taken care of and how things have changed. It's a beautiful horizon for them, although in no way, shape or form did it begin that way. The thought of institutionalization makes me so mad that I can't see. The thought of a mother deciding not to follow a doctor's recommendation to go the institution route and instead show patience, love, kindness, and caring for her child to watch him/her reach full potential, that's a story worth reading about. Ed Roberts's story made me want to slow clap during class because there really was nothing stopping this man, his mother fought for him and taught him the tools to never give up on yourself no matter what.

I get sick to my stomach and tears to my eyes when I hear about how things once were. Why you might ask? Well I have a special needs twin brother (old photo of us below), his name is Brandon and he has Down syndrome and Autism. He is one special guy and I can't even imagine what his life would be like if we were born 50 years earlier. But at the same time, I think it is very important to reflect on the past because that's how we grow.

To see where things are headed for the disable brings such a warm and fierce feeling to my heart. Technology is doing such amazing things to change lives for the individual and the families it's truly incredible what has happened since 1965 thanks to some work from John F Kennedy and fighting mothers of the nation. My main take away from that 90 minute lecture is to not be so quick to judge what a person can or cannot do. The world is changing and it's time the world starts to think outside the box on how limitless humans can be, disabled or not.