When a baby is born. The sky is the limit. Parents dream of their kid being a doctor lawyer or actor. Sometimes those dreams die when their is a developmental disability that is diagnosed. Haply as society is becoming more inclusive these dreams do not have to die. There are college programs for people with disabilities and there are more options for employment as well.
The hard part about this is that these opportunities are closed to people with developmental disabilities. Not because they are not capable or unlucky, but because the adults in charge destroy their dreams. They rip them up into tiny shreds and lock them away. Now these people are not overly mean they think they are being realistic and kind. They feel that they are doing the best thing for them and their parents. Sometimes parents agree with these limits.
This happened to me on a few occasions. The first being i
n high school where they told me I'd work in the back room and live in a group home. The seconded time being
my experience at a private college. I know how I got through those hard times by having people believe in me. From parents to teachers at my jr college to my friends . I decided to listen to them instead and now I am almost done.
It is up to the adults in a young persons life to encourage them to dream big. Young children can not dream , but the adults can dream by having high expectations. A long time ago doctors tried telling parents to be realistic and put there children in institutions. That did not work out so well. Don't be realistic be bold and daring. Set high goals Will kids reach those said goals? Maybe not, but not all able bodied people do either. Let people with disabilities show you that they can not do something instead of never letting them try .
For anyone reading this with a disability
Blast those low expectations out of the water.
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