Climbing Every Mountain #Mary E. Ulrich

Shouting my COMMITMENT!

by Mary E. Ulrich | Jul 22, 2010

Is Anybody There? Does Anybody Care?

Each of us has transformational moments in our lives.

One of mine was watching the musical 1776. In one scene the night before the vote on independency, John Adams reads a letter from George Washington and using his words, sings about “commitment.”

These founding fathers used words and actions to create a form of government that never existed before. They were visionaries, they were leaders. Seth Godin would say they were Linchpins, they shipped.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is 20 years old July 26, 2010

Since Aaron was born, in my small way, I have taken a stand for the civil rights of people with severe disabilities.

With ADA they now have a chance at the American Dream of our forefathers. The dream is not a promise, it is still only a dream for most of us, but there is the possibility–the hope.

Dedicated parents and professionals of people with disabilities answered the call: “Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?” Their work and sacrifice have made it possible for Aaron and others to grow up with their parents and families; go to school with their brothers, sisters and neighbors; and learn skills that will help them after they graduate for the 40, 50, 60 years of the rest of their lives.

Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) they can live in the community of their choice; and with luck have people who will care about them.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1975

In 1975 when we were first learning of Aaron’s intellectual disability, an inclusive life was just the dream of a few parents and professionals. Now, in 2010 we have better attitudes, laws, research and information. We have made tremendous progress, at least for school-age kids. But like other civil rights movements we do not have all the answers, we have not reached the top of the mountain–especially when it comes to the lives of adults with disabilities.

I was interviewed last week by a university student who was taking a class on people with exceptionalities. His assignment was to interview a parent who had lived during the early days of IDEA and compare “inclusion” with the “continuum of services.”

We talked about the Disability Civil Rights Movement, we talked about the definition of inclusion and how some professionals have bastardized the word, we talked about taking a personal stand and making a commitment.

As I prepared for the interview, it felt good to go through my files and pull the documentation of what we have accomplished in the past 30 years.

See (Parallels in Time if you are interested in a history) on the other hand, it was shocking that inclusion is still a controversial issue.

I know old paradigms die hard, but it is more than that.

There are some people who will never give up their segregated and “special” attitudes and values. Some people who will forever fight for keeping the status quo and the charity model. And, it is no secret that No Child Left Behind–left our children behind.

In future blog posts I will talk about this journey, but for now I am just going to say there is a resource page that will have some contact information.

Keep Climbing: Onward and Upward
All my best,

Mary

In the comments: What do you think? Is anybody there? Does anybody care?

Parents + Caregivers| Climbing Mountains

by Mary E. Ulrich | Jul 21, 2010

photo credit: bjarnit

Climbing Every Mountain: More than a Song

My life journey has been to try and create an inclusive world where everyone belongs, a decent quality of life for my family, and particularly my son Aaron who has the label of autism.

“Aaron” means high mountain

My husband and I have always loved the mountains. In hindsight, maybe instead of naming our first born “Aaron,” which comes from the Hebrew meaning “high mountain,” we should have chosen a different name which meant something like “gentle stream” or “quiet brook.” 🙂

Climb Every Mountain

In 1965, I was part of a small group of aspirants who put on our Sunday black veils and were given special permission to go “into the world” to see The Sound of Music in a real movie theater. When Mother Superior started singing Climb Every Mountain, me–Mary the aspirant– prayed that I too would find,

“a dream that will need all the love you can give, every day of your life for as long as you live.”

Perhaps another misstep. Seems that God chose to answer that prayer. But then, Helen Keller who knew a thing or two about disabilities, wrote: “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.”

So climbing every mountain, my life continues to be an incredible daring adventure and though I get discouraged and exhausted, I feel blessed and know I am making a difference.

For Parents and Caregivers of People who have Disabilities and are Elderly

As parents and caregivers of vulnerable people each of us is climbing our own mountain. Each of us is searching for courage and fellow travelers. Often in our real world, our family, friends and even the professional staff who are being paid to help us don’t share our vision. When my parents turned 80 and physically became vulnerable, I was able to use many of the lessons and information I learned with Aaron to help them improve their quality of life. There are many similarities for those who can look past the stigma of “disability.”

Make a Comment, Join our TEAM

I am hoping you will want to join this community of climbers and paradigm pioneers as we prepare emotionally and practically for the journey to the summit.

I am hoping you will consider this site a sort of Base Camp where we gather to dream dreams, trade resources and share the personal stories that make each of us a unique gift to this world.

I am hoping you will add comments and chat with us. I’m hoping you will sign up to “Get New Posts” (top left on homepage) and be notified by email each time a new article is posted.

Climbing the Blogging Mountain

Experience with including my son and other vulnerable people into the community–I have, but I’m trying hard not to panic as I begin this new journey into websites and blogging.

I’m hoping the great stories, useful tips and information will make up for my lack of tech “savyness”. And yea, if we are going to be trying to create a new inclusive world that never existed before, I will make up words from time to time.

Welcome! As life puts new mountains before us, grab onto that life rope and climb with us.