Building Community: Wheelchair Becky vs. Flat Stanley

Clueless Barbie Some of the major stores are already advertising their holiday toy sales. This made me think of Barbie and her friends. Some say the Barbie doll was the most influential icon of late 20th century American culture. In fact, she rated no. 43 on the 101...

Our House of Cards|Disability Style (Part 3)

Our House of Cards| Disability Style (Part 3) Originally published in 2011 Hey, Researchers… In April, when my son Aaron celebrated his 13th year of living away from home. He was 36 years old so that would be “normal,” except that Aaron has the...

Our House of Cards|Disability Style (Part 2)

Our House of Cards|Disability Style (Part 2) Introduction: I am going to try to describe what happened to Aaron, my son, when he was 36 years old. Aaron has the labels of autism and developmental disabilities. It is a complicated story. In the comments, let me know if...

Our House of Cards| Disability Style (Part 1)

Living in a House of Cards| Non-Profits, HUD, Medicaid Waivers (Part 1) My friend Debbie Wetzel always said the human service system was a house of cards. As parents of people with severe disabilities, we need many agencies, many people working together to get basic...

The Values of Inclusion| from Down-Under

The Values of Inclusion: Valuable across the World Jack Pearpoint is a true visionary. He shares his vision with others. I recommend subscribing to his Inclusion Network YouTube Videos (link below the video). At the Down-Under Inclusion Institute, Jack showcases...

Dream Plan for Aaron: 1981 (Part 1)

Build a dream and the dream will build you. R. Schuller. What is Normalization? In 1981 when Aaron was 6 years old, my friend Debbie Wetzel and I drove to Louisville, KY to hear Wolf Wolfensberger give a presentation on “Normalization” or “Social...