The challenges of disability

The bravery and stoicism of the families with disabilities in Colleen Brown’s excellent article “Shut in & burnt out” (November 20) highlighted the seemingly overwhelming difficulties and lack of organised support and respite.

She has been a brilliant advocate for families and individuals with disabilities for 40 years. When considering the educational placement for our eldest daughter, who was born with an intellectual disability, we’d been thinking about mainstreaming, but a Special Education Service psychologist told us we had “middle-class aspirations for our mentally subnormal child”.

Then I met Colleen, whose enthusiasm and wisdom helped us to decide that our daughter must be in the mainstream. Colleen has always had an unerring vision for the tremendous potential of those with disabilities and an insight into how best to create satisfying and fulfilling lives for them and their families.

It was so encouraging to see the subject of disability in the Listener and I look forward to further articles. One issue worthy of investigation is the Laura Fergusson Trust’s closure of its Auckland home for more than 50 disabled people, which was also a valuable resource for many extramural services. This was the place that could have provided vital respite and health, fitness and leisure programmes for those families in the article.

Louise Porter
(Auckland)

One small change that would make my autistic son’s life easier would be if his school allowed him to alter its uniform. The uniform’s high polyester content is