Seeing Beauty in Disability

The first time I walked into my little girl’s school, all I could see was the equipment. The wheelchairs, walkers, core boards and other communication devices – it all terrified me. She didn’t belong here, and I wanted to run.  

Fast forward a year to a moment when I was dropping something off at her school. It was Valentine’s Day, and her class was participating in a scavenger hunt. There were about 10 amazing children all excitedly trying to get from point A to point B in their walkers and wheelchairs, expressing their joy in unique ways. It was chaotic and awkward, and it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. 

In that moment it became obvious that all those pieces of equipment are just tools helping kids shine.  

At the start of this new school year, especially if this is your first foray into a larger group setting with your little one, you might be closer to where I was that first day and wondering how on earth all these pieces fit into your world, and that’s okay. Let me assure you that being around so many diverse abilities is amazing. In my professional world, I have countless stories of seeing this beauty. There’s the autistic boy that can name every country on a world map, the little boy that finds joy in a Christmas tree all year long and the cheerful girl that consistently greets every person she meets. I encourage you to look for the beauty in the differences among children and admire how hard your child, and every child is working to do things that are innate for neurotypical children. Celebrate the little things because that’s where the beauty is, we just need to pause long enough to notice and let it in.