I was just thinking about the hard time my hearing impaired dh had growing up. He has been hearing impaired since his pre mature birth 45 years ago. When it was discovered, his mom was told to put him into the residential school for the deaf (at age 4!) and move on with her life. My mil refused. My dh got hearing aids (and not the little behind the ear things they have now day, but a big box that he carried in his pocket with wires going to his ears, and learned to lip read. I know he hated school and was teased alot.

I can't imagine that happening today!!! My kids take the special needs kids at school in stride and accept them for who they are (I know, not everyone does!) I cannot imagine a mother being told to leave their child just because they are hearing impaired or such!!

What do you all think? Is society more accepting of "differently abled" persons now than in the past?

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~Happiness is a large family~

I think we as a society are "getting there", but we still aren't to the point where a wheelchair, trach, or other apparatus is looked upon as commonly as eyeglasses or modern hearing aids. I think the more we stand up for our kids, and let people know it's okay to be different, maybe by the time our kids are adults, things will be even better.

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There are more than 40 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most of them. There is no known prevention or cure for any of them.
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I think rather than hiding kids away, they are included out in the society regularly now. But I still think some people don't know what to "do with them" once these kids are in their prescence. Improvements have definitely been made - but more improvements are needed. We took DS1 out today for the first time since his surgery last week to see Transformers, just a quick little outing to boost his spirits. He is wearing casts from hip to toes on both legs, and we definitely got a lot of stares. I also had a nightmare of a time trying to get him into a bathroom stall that was supposedly "accessible." There was a big stalll to fit a wheelchair, but try getting into the bathroom, let alone the stall. The angles were a nightmare. I guess this is completely off the original topic- but it is very difficult to get around in a wheelchair in many areas, I wonder how people can do it without help?

I do not have a child with special needs but I have been around special needs children & in my life I am very accepting & supportive of those with special needs. My dd is almost 6 & I am trying to raise her the same way. There was a girl in her kindergarten class that is in a wheel chair-not sure why, she can stand & walk some but there is something that is wrong with her legs-I think she has MS, anyways I raise my kids that they need to treat them with respect & the same way that they treat their other friends. Thankfully my dd has a very tender heart & I have never heard her comment about anybody being different. She has asked why some people are in a wheel chair. I think some in society are more accepting than they used to be. I wish that everybody was, but thankfully it's a lot better than it was when our parents were little. I admire you mothers that have children with special needs-you work very hard, and I know that your lives are greatly fulfilled!

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Mommy to Ariana 8/11/01 & Davis 4/11/05
I love my kiddos!

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I think the world is more educated and tolerate of SN people because of the awareness. We are a more accepting society and there are more SN children both physical and mental. There have been tv shows with autistic children, downs children, etc as the lead characters and there are now famous people like Bill Gates that have come out and announced their disability.

However, I feel that the government must also step up now and take a more active role to truly help improve the quality of the disabled rather than just provide minimal services. JMO.