For disabled parents, the built environment can be inaccessible – but we are showing that there are countless ways to have bodies and minds
We met K when she was a week old. We were foster parents and not expecting a call about a newborn. Despite becoming her mom with just 12 hours’ notice – we adopted her the next year – my early months with her felt so natural.
I had been disabled for six years. While on a hike, I developed dysautonomia, which is secondary to a genetic connective tissue disorder called hEDS [hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome]. I experience a great deal of daily pain and can’t stand for more than a minute or sit upright unsupported for more than five.
Her kindergarten classroom. In fact, the entirety of the school she attended for two years.
Countless hikes.
Multiple preschool tours – so many schools in California, North Carolina and Ontario are up or down stairs.
Field trips.
Nearly every shop and restaurant in Montreal while on a family vacation.
Birthday and holiday parties.
Most playgrounds with sand or gravel.
In an ambulance, twice.
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