Monday, March 24, 2008

Non - Violence means just that.


Justifiable restraint is a misleading term. Restraint is rarely used in schools. Research has demonstrated that restraint if more often dangerous than life saving for he people involved. I was painfully reminded about this by meeting the Carey family who tragically lost their son to a restraint. I found a family support group that has key legislation and links to help parents deal with this issue.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Return to the Cuckoo's Nest


About 10 years ago, I wrote a story about the return to the cuckoo's nest. (In reference to the movie and book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It seems to me that we ended the large scale institutions and created many smaller scale models. This is not to say that we have not made huge strides in mainstreaming many of our citizens. We have done so and should feel proud of the fact that so many advocates for people with disabilities have fought for the rights for those who may not be able to fight for themself. However, we do have very real problems in health and human services and education. There is still much abuse in the system that goes unchallenged. If we want to achieve decency for those who suffer, we have to speak out. For this reason, I have created this blog. For parents, families, and people who work with disabilities, I will also try to provide resources for those working for social justice.