Please note: Changes are coming.

Friends, in the next two weeks, this website will be replaced with a new one. I do not yet know the exact timing, but soon things will look different at revtedh.com. For a limited time following the change, you will be able to access this site at revtedh.org. However, some features of this website, including the daily journal entries, will end when the new website launches. You can keep up with regular writing posts at revtedh.substack.com. On Substack, you can subscribe to receive regular posts in your email. I appreciate your patience with these changes.

Before my retirement, I served for many years as a human rights advocate for clients of an agency that provided services to persons with developmental disabilities, brain disorders, and a wide variety of physical handicaps. My role was to represent the community and its interests, and I remained independent from the agency during my time of service. When I was first recruited, I thought that I would be called upon to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. The agency served people with limited verbal skills, limited social communication, and challenges in interacting with others. Some of the persons served had difficulty with nonverbal clues such as gestures and facial expressions. Some made little or no eye contact. Some of the people served did not speak at all. I mistakenly thought that they needed someone to give them a voice and to stand up for their rights. I was eager to be that voice and to advocate for the rights of all persons served by the agency.

However, I quickly learned that the persons served by the agency were their own best advocates for human rights. Their desire for meaningful work, stable family and friend relationships, and independence was best expressed by them, not by me. I learned to be quiet and to observe closely when considering the cases that came before the human rights committee.

In the process, I discovered a new role for myself as the community representative on the human rights committee. I became an advocate for the full involvement of persons with disabilities in all aspects of community life. This was not from the perspective of those with disabilities who wanted to be involved, but rather from the community, which was strengthened by their involvement. Businesses, churches, schools, and other parts of our community were strengthened by the participation of those living with disabilities.

I also learned to be careful when using the terms “disability” and “disabled.” Too often, those terms are employed to describe what a person cannot do. What I learned is that it is far more helpful to define a person by what they can do. Some people prefer the term “differently abled,” recognizing that any community is made up of people with diverse skills and abilities. One young man who uses a wheelchair for mobility gave me a fresh perspective by referring to me as “temporarily abled.” He reminded me that I was only one accident or illness away from having to live with a disability. Others reminded me that there are many abilities that I do not possess. There are people whose ability to smell is more discriminating than mine. Some people are far better at remembering dates and names than I am.

As a community rights advocate, I began speaking up for the right of every community to have full participation by persons with a wide range of abilities. While it is true that the removal of physical barriers is helpful for those living with disabilities, it is also beneficial for those who do not have those disabilities. We all benefit from accessible bathrooms, accommodation for those who use walkers and wheelchairs, and resources for those with visual disabilities.

My life is richer because of the people with cerebral palsy, those who use wheelchairs, those who are blind, and those with autism spectrum disorder who have come into my life as friends and colleagues. Our community is richer because of their participation and leadership. The rights of all are elevated when the rights of any subset are elevated.

The work of advocating for the community of persons with all abilities continues. There is a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and ignorance in government and public media. As one who benefits from standing with persons with disabilities and their families, some fundamental truths must be communicated freshly in the face of this misinformation, disinformation, and ignorance. For example, scientific consensus is clear:

Vaccines do not cause autism. Decades of rigorous, global research involving millions of children and adults have confirmed no link between vaccines and autism.

The use of Tylenol during pregnancy does not increase the incidence of autism spectrum disorder. The most extensive study on acetaminophen use during pregnancy found no evidence supporting an increased chance of autism.

Furthermore, communities are strengthened when they integrate support services that build on each child's strengths and honor differences in communication styles. Persons of all abilities gain from educators and service providers who are trained in inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming practices. Accurate information helps to free all people from stigma and fear.

Many things labeled as disabilities are, in fact, natural parts of human variation. We are not all the same. We do not all think, act, and relate in the same ways. Variation in human abilities is a strength, not a weakness. Despite the misleading rhetoric from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., portraying autism as a tragedy is not only inaccurate, it is harmful to people with autism, their families, and caregivers. It is also detrimental to all communities and to the health of our nation. The health and well-being of our communities is strengthened by embracing neurodiversity and learning from those with autism.

As a community advocate, I will continue to work for the meaningful inclusion of all.