Why Belonging Matters
I’ve been thinking about the difference between inclusion and belonging. These thoughts have mostly been prompted by all the end-of-high school events for our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome.…
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Project Presentation
Intellectual disability does not need to prevent young adults from learning. With support, encouragement, and room to make mistakes and grow from them, students like our daughter Penny, who has…
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How Language Shapes Our Imagination
I’m two weeks into my new workshop, Reimagining Family Life with Disability. We have nearly 40 parents of children with disabilities who are Zooming in from across the United States—Vermont, Georgia,…
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Trip
Life for our 18-year-old with Down syndrome isn’t perfect, but it is good. Penny just spent three days with her class on their senior spring trip. I asked her to…
Hope Heals Board Retreat
I have the great honor of serving on the Board of Hope Heals. What a gift to spend 36 hours with these fellow Board members as well as members of…
World Down Syndrome Day 2024
Happy World Down Syndrome Day! Our daughter Penny is 18, and we join thousands of other people around the globe who want to raise awareness about Down syndrome today. First,…
S7 E 12 | Reimagining Church Leadership and Disability with Andrew Draper
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Why does it matter that most churches don’t welcome people with disabilities in leadership? If a church excludes people with disabilities, is it really a church?…
Why Our Down Syndrome Clinic Appointment Is Worth It
Once a year, Penny and I travel to see a specialist and his team at the Down syndrome clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital. Every year, I wonder whether it will…
Christianity Today: God Teaches Me Through My Daughter with Down Syndrome
Adults with intellectual disabilities can have robust spiritual lives. Are we learning from them? Every Sunday afternoon, my daughter and I join a Zoom call with her friend and her…
Homecoming and Belonging
As a mother of a child with a disability, school events can be rough. I’m talking about everything from dances to sports to eating lunch in the cafeteria. I don’t…
