Distance makes no difference when it comes to ignorance of the issues facing disabled people.
We were inspired – but also incensed – to read a blog by Holly Bonner entitled “Blind mum answers rude questions about her pregnancy.” Holly describes herself as “a legally blind wife, mother and social worker living in chaotic New York City.”
To read some of her work visit https://blindmotherhood.com Her account of some of the questions she has ben asked has been picked up by the RNIB. It’s a long, complicated link so the best way to find the piece is to visit www.rnib.org.uk and search for Holly Bonner. You’ll also find a few other interesting and helpful links.
Holly might be on the other side of the Atlantic, but the account of her experiences certainly strikes a chord in the UK.
She writes about being thrilled and frightened when she found out she was pregnant, but she makes the perfectly valid point: “I’m scared, terrified even – but what new parent isn’t?”
We try not to make assumptions, because there is more than enough of that when it comes to accessibility, but we’d hazard a guess that the various nonsensical questions made Holly feel uneasy at first but then increasingly confident as she realised the ignorance of so many people.
Questions about whether the pregnancy was planned, whether she would keep the baby, and even whether disabled people were “allowed” to have kids make you roll your eyes – or worse – in disbelief.
