Penny got new pointe shoes last week. For a long time, I thought pointe—which requires strength in both the feet and ankles that I didn’t believe Penny would ever have—would…
I was recently reminded of my high schooler's independence. Last week I left the girls home alone together while I went to the grocery store. Before I went, I suggested…
It’s been a stressful week for most Americans when it comes to the state of our nation in the election aftermath. Even without a final verdict on who will be…
I have a new essay about Amy Coney Barrett, Down syndrome, and abortion (really light topics with no controversy!) up at the Religion News Service site today. I’ve been thinking…
Download E-Book Our daughter Penny was born on December 30, 2005. She was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours later. It’s almost hard to remember what it felt like…
What is normal? Normie is a coming-of-age film about a young woman with Down syndrome. Today, Annemarie Carrigan, the lead cast member of Normie, and Kurt Neale, the director and…
How does “the built world”—the chairs, rooms, and streets that guide our bodies every day— implicitly ascribe worth to human beings? How does the built world welcome or exclude individuals…
We had a planning meeting last February for our teenage daughter, Penny, who has Down syndrome. Penny invited friends, family, and teachers to join her for this conversation. Dreaming and…
How did disability help me understand racism? I am white, married, educated, and affluent. Our daughter Penny was born into many of these same categories, and yet she was also…
The harm of privilege is exclusion, injustice, and isolation. When I say the word privilege, I’m talking about a set of unearned social advantages given to one individual or group…
Website by FRW Design and photo credits by Chris Cappozziello, Philip Dutton
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Website by FRW Design and photo credits by Chris Cappozziello, Philip Dutton
