I wrote a blog years ago about the non-death loss that parents of disabled children experience.
From that blog.
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“Do you find out about the reality of public education or do you live in blissful ignorance? If you have a child with a disability, you don’t get a choice. It’s made for you.
I was a secretary at a couple of schools and it was amazing to me, how many parents of non-disabled children didn’t even know the name of their child’s teacher. Seriously.
I on other hand, can recite school legislation, explain the difference between Ministry of Education policy and the Human Rights Code, and define the loopholes in a variety of external complaint processes.
This isn’t what I thought it was going to be like.
This is a loss that needs to be validated. The loss of innocence.”
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Being ignorant to law and policy isn’t a choice. It’s not a topic that we can read about if we have the time or find it enjoyable to learn about. It’s a must. To be able to advocate for our kids and hold the school system accountable. To give our children what they are legally entitled to have, an equitable education, we need to educate ourselves, whether we like it or not. We need to learn how to advocate, research, and practice our skills. We need to be constantly learning. It’s another profession forced on us, not by choice, but survival.
There is grief to that.
We don’t have the privilege of being blissfully not aware of our rights. Assuming that society will just naturally take care of us. Marginalized communities need to be aware. Be aware of a whole host of things. Law, policy, and how to advocate are key parts. We need to know our rights.
So, have a good cry. Scream into your pillow.
And thanks everyone for reading my blog series about the Duty to Accommodate. The number of people reading the blogs this summer was intense.
I see you all.
Showing up.
Whether you like law or not.