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And if you are the parent of a child with disabilities, then you know that protecting your child and ensuring their needs often requires you to become a fierce advocate for accessibility. This article provides strategies for fighting for your little one’s rights, for inclusion and equity in schools, homes, and the community as a whole.
Accessibility in the Home
If your child has been diagnosed with a disability, then odds are you’ve already undergone a crash course in accessibility — or the general lack thereof — in many homes and communities. The simple fact is that the built environment around us is all too often not constructed for persons with special needs.
While public spaces are required by law to ensure accessibility to persons with physical impairments, from mobility challenges to vision and hearing challenges, the same, unfortunately, cannot be said for most private homes. That can mean that, without special accommodations, your child may be unable to visit friends, attend parties, or even move about freely and safely in their own home.
The best place to begin in ensuring home accessibility, of course, is to start with your own house. After all, your child’s home should be their safe space, their haven, the place where they feel most comfortable, secure, and confident. That means exploring your space for potential barriers to your child’s freedom of movement and functioning, and making design modifications based on your little one’s unique needs. This might include installing ramps or widening doorways if your child uses a wheelchair or installing visual alarms for smoke detectors and doorbells if your child has a hearing impairment.
But, of course, the issue of home accessibility doesn’t end at your own front door. Your child is going to need access to friends and family. And that is going to mean that you’ll need to plan ahead for social events, from holidays and birthdays to slumber parties. Do your research and communicate with relatives and other parents. Offer solutions to ensure that your little one can participate freely during social gatherings.
In many cases, you may be able to provide equipment, such as portable ramps, to allow your child to visit with friends and family. Where that’s not possible, then consider hosting the festivities at your own accessible home. The key is to help your child to always feel included, to show them that, no matter their condition, there is always a workaround!
At School and Beyond
There are, thankfully, a myriad of protections available to your child in public spaces, including protections for school accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws. In the era of COVID-19, however, ensuring your child’s equitable access must also be coupled with the rigorous assurance of their health and safety during the pandemic.
For this reason, advocating for your child’s legal rights to an accessible and equitable education must also include advocating for virus prevention protocols in schools, particularly for medically vulnerable children. Research your school’s policy to ensure that it adheres, in particular, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on COVID-19 prevention, treatment, and risk mitigation.
The Takeaway
Parenting requires you to play many roles, from counselor to comforter. When your child has a disability, though, one of your most important roles is that of advocate. Whether in the home, the school, or the community, you are your child’s voice in creating a more accessible and inclusive world.
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