The Problem With Down Syndrome: Part 4
Posted: August 9, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, Down syndrome | Tags: Down syndrome, dystopia, Hitler, science, utopia 11 CommentsWhat is the problem with Down syndrome? I have been struggling with this, but I think it is not so much whether there is a problem (there’s not), but the drive behind the creation of a “problem” label. It is not, in and of itself, anything but a genetic condition. Just like anyone who lives on this earth, health outcomes are wide and varied. Most will have an intellectual disability and many get hung up on that. I see no inherent problem with intellectual disability, however. Intellectual disability has no guaranteed bearing on quality of life, as far as I can see. Some people live happy lives, some people don’t, intellectual disability or not.
So what is the problem? Read the rest of this entry »
The Problem With Down Syndrome: Part 3
Posted: August 5, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, disability, Down syndrome, the future | Tags: Disabled, Down syndrome, human rights, Intellectual disability, Intelligence quotient, stigma 20 CommentsPart 2 of my ramblings are here.
What is the problem with intellectual disability?
Can’t get a job. Can’t read. Can’t talk. Can’t understand.
The notion that intellectual disability (ID) is negative seems a matter of common sense to quite a few people. It is one of the often cited reasons in commentary and articles that advocate for research with an eye towards “curing” Down syndrome. Neither side seems to refute the idea that ID is intrinsically bad. It seems to be a given. Read the rest of this entry »
The Problem With Down Syndrome: Part 2
Posted: August 2, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, Down syndrome, medical stuff | Tags: Alzheimer's disease, Chromosome, disability, diversity, Down syndrome, Health 35 CommentsI just want a healthy baby. I think every single prospective parent must utter these words at some point, but it is worth questioning.
One “common sense”, yet false, assumption is that Down syndrome itself is a state of poor health. Then, it goes without saying that the ideal state of affairs would be to get rid of Down syndrome. This is the logic I hear time and time again in news articles, comments, off hand remarks from strangers.
It makes sense, right? Down syndrome comes from the presence of an extra chromosome. That extra chromosome causes the body to malfunction, right? Therefore, Down syndrome IS poor health. So therefore, our goal should be to make sure no one is born with Down syndrome. Wait. Can we slow down? Read the rest of this entry »
Kimchi Latkes 