Posted in Children, Disabilities, Literacy, Micro-volunteering, Random Acts of Kindness, tagged donating glasses, New Eyes for the Needy, sight disabilities, vision disabilities on May 24, 2011 |
I was doomed from the get-go. With both a mom and dad with poor eyesight, my destiny was pretty clear. And, if I were to believe mom, the many nights spent way past my bedtime, under the covers reading with a flashlight, didn’t help.
This is what the world looks like when I wake up:
Thankfully, my parents or I’ve always had the resources so I could have glasses or contacts, so the world can look like this:
Posted in Disabilities, Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC), tagged Down Syndrome, My Great Story, National Down Syndrome Society on October 14, 2010 |
In the continuing spirit of this month’s Impact Challenge to “Smile and Engage” and to honor National Down Syndrome Awareness month in the U.S., we invite you to visit “My Great Story,” a unique public awareness campaign by the National Down Syndrome Society, honoring and celebrating the achievements, dreams and aspirations of those with Down Syndrome. The video on Sara Wolff, The Speaker is a favorite.
As we go along in our day-to-day lives, let’s not forget to “Smile and Engage” — or we might miss out on something beautiful.
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Posted in Disabilities, Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC), tagged Down Syndrome Awareness Month, monthly impact challenge, National Down Syndrome Congress, We're More Alike Than Different on October 6, 2010 | 1 Comment »
“We’re More Alike Than Different” is a short video by the National Down Syndrome Congress in the United States.
In the spirit of this month’s Impact Challenge to “Smile and Engage” and to honor National Down Syndrome Awareness month in the U.S., we post a link and invite you to watch. It’s a pretty fabulous video that opened our hearts, minds, and eyes just a little bit more — maybe yours too. The title says it all.
… and in these times of our having witnessed the heartbreaking impact of intolerance toward others who are different, let’s just say this message brings on extra importance.
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Posted in Disabilities, Monthly Impact Challenges (MIC), tagged children with disabilities, Down Syndrome on October 1, 2010 | 7 Comments »
We’re delighted to present a guest posting by friend and follower, Sylvia van Bruggen. She shares a bit about her pride and joy and the Impact he has on her life and those around him.
Sylvia and Tijs offer up October’s Impact Challenge. Let’s rise to it!
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This is my nephew Tijs. He is 3 years old and he acts exactly like any other boy of his age. His eyes (and sometimes his acts) are full of mischief, he loves to play, he loves animals, drawing and puzzles.
And he loves to read. When we were away in a weekend home with my side of the family, I was up early, and sat on the floor with him. We read a book about animals. He pointed out each animal, and then smiled when I said its name together with him. It was truly precious to see how many he knew, and how he giggled when I said the wrong name.
He is such a joy to be around. His spirit is such that he manages to make everyone around him smile. (Unless he is mad, which he also can do really well 
).
It’s mesmerizing to see my father (who has Alzheimers) and him communicate in a way that involves anything but words.
But, when others see Tijs, they don’t see that amazing boy he is, they just see what he has: Down Syndrome. I have seen people just stare, turn their heads, look with contempt…
Behavior like this is fueled by fear. It is natural for human beings to fear what they don’t know and often lack of understanding fuels that even more.
And when you look at people with disabilities through those eyes, you miss making a connection to someone who has the ability to make you look at life in a different way.
I challenge you to make an impact, by not averting your eyes next time you encounter someone with a disability. I challenge you to smile and engage in contact with them. Who knows, it may enrich your life in a way like my nephew has enriched mine, as he does for all of us fortunate enough to know him.
He’s the kind of boy who does that, just because of who he is. And that’s a blessing anyone should have.
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REMINDER: Don’t forget to submit your Slacktivist Impact Effort! Submissions can be made until midnight EST, Tuesday, October 5th, 2010.
