Changing the Social Imagination (one photo at a time)
The images that I saw of people with Down syndrome when our daughter Penny was born 18 years ago were largely black and white, grainy, medical images. They shaped an…
Our Story: Down Syndrome, Identity, and Love
I was scared when I found out our oldest daughter, Penny, had Down syndrome. My husband Peter and I were 28 years old, and we weren’t prepared to welcome a…
A New Way of Seeing Our Humanity
My first traditionally-published book, A Good and Perfect Gift, tells the story of our daughter Penny’s early years after her diagnosis of Down syndrome. Even more so, it tells the story of…
Penny Is Off to College!
Penny is off to college! She started her first year at Post University. I recorded a video with some of her thoughts over on Instagram. You can watch below. …
We Are Beloved: The Mindset Shift That Transformed Our Family
I remember being at a retreat where there were a lot of children present who were around the same age as Penny, our daughter who has Down syndrome. I spent…
My Daughter Does Not Exist to Teach Me a Lesson
Many people, when Penny was first born, talked to me about why it would be good for me to have a child with Down syndrome. They said: Penny would be…
Universal Design Matters to All of Us
The cool thing about universal design is that you don’t even notice it. I’ve been attending Hope Heals Camp at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama for four summers now.1 I’ve heard people say that it…
Supporting Penny’s Goals
I used to be afraid to set goals for our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome. It felt like if we didn't meet those goals, we would be passing judgment…
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How Politicians Talk About Disability Matters
As we head into another election cycle, I’m paying attention to the language politicians use to talk about people with disabilities. This is not a partisan issue. I’ve heard politicians…
The Wonder of Kindness and Joy on Planet Earth
Last year, after we returned from a week at Hope Heals Camp, I wrote that camp “is not a place where we lay out a message of salvation, but rather…
