As a white neurodivergent woman, I feel like I am stuck in the middle of a fight I never wanted. I’m both privileged and a minority. I’m constantly fighting for inclusion, equity, and justice in a world full of ableism.
A good example of this is the new playground my children’s school wants to build for their pre-k through 2nd-grade kids. The school has at least four children in wheelchairs. I have been trying to convince other parents to build a playground that is fully inclusive and accessible for all children to play on together. I’m the odd one out. Most of them would be happy to have one or two accessible features in one area and think that they’ve done something for everyone. But can you imagine being the kid in a wheelchair off to the side while their friends are playing on everything? That hurts.
The playground is a symbol. It represents how we value all of our children. Would you rather segregate them or spend the money to include them and show everyone that all kids matter? Because segregation sends a message that they don’t. You can’t throw something on the side and call it “inclusive”. This symbol will be out there for 20 years. And the school has the guts to use the motto “Better Together.” District-wide, we’re “Every student, every day.” It’s a little hypocritical, no?
Given today’s climate, though, I can’t help but connect all the dots. The federal cuts to Medicaid mean that real people with disabilities don’t get the care they need. It will kill people. Real people, even children. It will also mean that people currently using Medicaid to live independently will be forced into institutions. These institutions will be even more costly.
Public schools are the only real choice for most children with disabilities. School choice doesn’t exist for my kids. Private schools do not have to follow the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In states with open enrollment, such as my home Wisconsin, schools choose the number of open enrollment seats and can choose not to let in new students who require an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The money schools get from the government for kids with IEPs does not follow them to new districts. Although it would if they were to choose a private school. Again, the private schools do not have to follow IDEA. Why it’s set up that way, I don’t know, but it’s not fair for our kids.
A friend of mine recently pointed out that back in the day, the Nazis used propaganda to show how expensive people with disabilities were, and they spoke of them as “less than.” That was before they started killing them. They convinced people it was for the best. Just today, I read about how Elon Musk tweeted, “Watching Trump slash federal programs because it doesn’t affect you because you’re not a member of the ‘Parasite Class.’”
I’ve never been so disgusted.
