Announcing Missing Out on Beautiful, Part Two
Download FREE 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…
S3 E16 | Normie: What is Normal Through the Lens of Down Syndrome with Annemarie Carrigan and Kurt Neale
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…
S3 E15 | Who Belongs? Disability and the Built World with Sara Hendren
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…
My Daughter With Down Syndrome Helped Me Understand Racism
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…
In Her Own Words: Penny on Being a Bridesmaid
Penny and I got to be bridesmaids together last weekend in my sister’s wedding. I’m going to let Penny tell you about it in her own words, but first I…
The Ordinary Goodness of a Life with Down Syndrome, Even Now
Our daughter Penny is 14. She loves Taylor Swift and Fuller House and the Yankees. She betrays many signs of becoming a typical teenager: she groans when I wake her…
What Having a Baby with Down Syndrome Taught Me About Distraction, Fear, and Love
When our daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome, we felt fear for her future, but love carried us all. I’m increasingly convinced that one of the things that keeps us…
Teaching Students About Inclusion and Belonging
Teaching students about inclusion and belonging gives them a more expansive view of humanity. Because of advances in special education, many kids today are growing up with more openness to…
#11: Shame and Glory
Episode #11: Shame and Glory — In the moment, which we now call “the Annunciation,” Mary said "yes" to both shame and glory, writes poet Luci Shaw. I don’t think…
5 Bible Passages for Parents of Children with Down Syndrome
I’ve written several posts (like this one) on themes related to disability recently in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month. WORKSHOP I'd also love for you to check out my…
