The T21 Blog Hop - August 2014

August, as they say, has been interesting thus far.

So much has been happening... It has gotten me thinking of Acceptance vs Awareness again, the question of what is normal and not, what is health and what is considered illness and when the change from one to another actually happens, if at all.

I guess what really hit it home today is the following quote from the agency who is monitoring and aiding in my son's development:

"-Wyatt has Down's Syndrome [sic].
 -Wyatt is Twin 'A'.  Twin 'B' is a healthy female."

Ow.

With this in mind, it's time for a little more acceptance, methinks.  Time for a little more slice of life, time for a little more "... is natural".  Down syndrome is a part of life.  Autism is a part of life. Disability, in any shape or form, is natural and not sickness.  They are not to be feared, extinguished, beaten.  They do not need a cure.

I'm going to extend it a little further this time too.  Depression is natural, as is anxiety and many other things.  They happen, they exist.  They can be quite disabling.  They are not to be feared either. 

I really look forward to a time when this isn't a discussion. 

Grab some ice for a nice cold drink, and read some great Acceptance blogging.

In the News - July 2014

A collection of news articles, blogs, stories and information about Down syndrome, disability and special needs, from Down Wit Dat's Facebook page.  These are from July 2014.

Legend:

AUDIO	indicates an audio clip
APPEAL	indicates an online petition or plea
BLOG	indicates a blog post
CASE	indicates a lawsuit or proceedings
EVENT	indicates a scheduled event
IMAGE	indicates a graphic, image or comic
LAWS	indicates a new piece of legislation
LINKS	indicates links or resource materials
PHOTOS	indicates photos
POLL	indicates an online survey
POST	indicates an advocacy statement made through social media
PRESS	indicates a press release
QUOTE	indicates a meaningful quote
STUDY	indicates a study or discovery
THREAD	indicates an online discussion thread
VIDEO	indicates a video or movie clip
VLOG	**NEW** indicates a video blog post

BLOG	Autism and Psychiatric Diagnoses
	Oldest case of Down's syndrome from medieval France
BLOG	A Brief History of Down Syndrome, Part 2: Before John Langdon Down
IMAGE	Escalation of violence pyramid.
	Rockford Wal-Mart sued after firing intellectually disabled employee
	A 3D Printed Cast That Can Heal Your Bones 40-80% Faster
BLOG	The Battle…
IMAGE	"Image description: Picture of a young woman wearing glasses and standing in what looks..."
IMAGE	Inclusion vs Exclusion
	Toronto woman appalled by futile attempts to find Grade-6 class for wheelchair-bound son
VIDEO	There Is No Excuse for Children With Intellectual Disabilities To Be Educated In Separate Classrooms
IMAGE	"Image of a woman wearing a blue zip up sweat shirt. She is holding two signs..."
POST	“Low functioning is an insult and high functioning is a threat.”
	Bruce Springsteen Reveals Depression - And Gives Us Permission To Talk About It Too
BLOG	Don’t teach kids that their body is wrong
	Amy Purdy Goes Nude for ESPN Body Issue
POST	"Today in Mighty Girl history, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics..."
BLOG	Asking for Accommodations
BLOG	A Father’s Powerful & Extremely Personal Thoughts on Parenting
	Facebook accused of allowing hate speech
BLOG	My Story: So Much More Than Just a Girl Who Uses a Wheelchair – Embracing Disability as Part of My Identity
	The Sexual Politics of Autism
IMAGE	"Image Description: A darkened photo of a woman's face appears behind a computer..."
	Author of U of T study says dyslexic children should be screened for physical abuse
	"Inspiration Porn" Objectifies People With Disabilities
BLOG	The Poppy Seeds
	Girl With Autism Speaks at City Hall After She Says She Was Caught on Overheated School Bus
	Brains, Genes And Chemical Imbalances – How Explanations Of Mental Illness Affect Stigma
IMAGE	"Image description: A woman, wearing glasses cozily holding her very young son while they..."
POST	"It looks like Netflix is airing the Autism Speaks Documentary "Sounding The Alarm" now..."
IMAGE	"Image description: a young woman with the text, "I am autistic. I am NOT a tragedy..."
IMAGE	"Image Description: Black and white photo of a man, sitting in front of a large body of..."
BLOG	IT HAPPENED TO ME: I Was Wined, Dined And Body-Shamed On A First Date
	In Defense of People Who Need Caregivers: Disability Should Not Erase Dignity
IMAGE	"Image Description: A photo of a man with long hair and beard, wearing a striped button..."
	'Gentle Giant' Dies After NYPD Cop Puts Him In Chokehold
	The Weird, Scary and Ingenious Brain of Maria Bamford
POST	"In their flagship Manhattan store this week, JCPenney unveiled a new collection of "real..."
EVENT	The T21 Blog Hop - July 2014
IMAGE	"Image Description: Back ground is greenish Text reads: I am autistic I do not live..."
	One of Marvel’s Avengers Turns to Sign Language
IMAGE	"Image description: A young man is wearing a hoodie is standing in a grassy field looking..."
	Schizophrenia: Scientists tie over 80 new genes to mental illness
VIDEO	I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much
	The Relationship Between Creativity and Mental Illness
BLOG	The Messiness of Blogging

In July, A Brief History of Down Syndrome... was featured in BoingBoing.  Thank you very much!

This month also saw another edition of the T-21 Blog Hop...

Thanks to all who participated.

The T-21 Blog Hop will take place every month on the 21st, for three days and will continue to feature advocacy posts from across the disability community.


...And that's the news.  Keep the stories and information coming!