Deaf, Blind, and a Mom
Just today, I discovered that there is a deaf-blind woman quietly maintaining her own blog about raising and homeschooling her twin children. Her children also have an adoptive Dad who happens to be quadraplegic.
She’s not looking for a big audience. But from the little bit I’ve seen in browsing around her site, she seems to be a thoughtful writer with insights to share about what it’s like to be a Mom in a world that thinks disabled people in general shouldn’t have kids. For example, there’s her post on Defensive Parenting on the difference between challenges that are intrinstic to her (and the father’s) disabilities and challenges created by the negative attitudes that others sometime have toward the two of them. The “intrinstic” challenges — as most readers of this blog will either know or guess — are the easy ones. How does a deaf Mom know when her baby is crying? Or a blind Mom know her baby has a diaper rash without being able to see it? How does a quadraplegic Dad hold his babies? Easy. But the external challenges are the big ones. When her 35-week twins were born, one nurse in the hospital was so convinced that this woman could not possibly parent them that she called in child support services to evaluate whether they should be taken from her. She had to fight for the custody of her children (if I understand correctly) from her hospital bed. Fortunately for her, several other nurses went to bat for her and she was able to take them home with her.
I also found her post on Deaf as a culture vs. a disability interesting. Be sure to read it all the way through. She has some good arguments on why Deaf people should not have to identify as disabled in order to be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
You may want to browse around her blog in general, especially if you’re a Mom or a Dad (or thinking of being one): http://twinklelittlestar.typepad.com
[Want to submit your own essay for publication at Reunify Gally? It should be related in some way to diversity in the Deaf/deaf community, or to reunifying or healing the Gallaudet community in the aftermath of the protests. If interested, review my Guidelines for Guest Bloggers and submit your essay to ashettle (at) patriot.net]
Learn vocabulary and feed the hungry at freerice.com
There is a Deaf/Blind woman lives nearby who raised late twins. Her husband is Deaf and very supportive. One of them was died when they were babies. The other one who had physically and mentally disabled but she passed away in her teen. That was about 10 years ago or so. So far they have two grown hearing children. One of them is an interpreter.
DS
27 May 2007
This lady is amazing. She writes like a pro and her language is so sensitive that it takes you right into her world, which is that of a busy mom. Her readers are mostly hearing and enthusiastically respond to her in kind.
I wished she had put a personal introduction somewhere, because it would have helped me identify who are the people she talks about and their relationships to her. Still, it has the makings of an autobiography and a novel mixed together and is worth an afternoon’s read. Highly recommended!
Dianrez
27 May 2007
This gal reminds me of Colleen Mansfield of Seattle (and a schoolmate of mine). Colleen was terribly independent and wanted no favors from anyone. Rest her soul, I miss her!
Lantana
Lantana
28 May 2007