Work for Change at Any Age

With back-to-school season upon us, I thought it was worth pointing out something great that just happened in Kansas. According to local media, students at Lawrence High School recently overhauled their homecoming rules so all students are eligible to serve on the homecoming court. This is really inspiring, especially given that many school districts across the country still don't fully comply with ADA laws, which were enacted more than 20 years ago.

I was never a homecoming queen, but I remember this part of high school quite fondly and am thrilled that kids in Lawrence care enough to include everyone. 800 signatures is a lot. So refreshing to see this behavior instead of reading about people who burn the Koran. Even the youngest people in our society can challenge unjust laws and outdated "rules."

Teach your kids to advocate for things that matter to them. It really does make a difference.

Advocacy

Politics not withstanding, I don't believe Sarah Palin knows a whole lot yet about parenting special needs children.  Lucky for us, though, there are a number of people and organizations that do.  

Over the past decade, our family has identified some wonderful non-profit groups dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, from a number of different perspectives.  Starting at birth, there's the March of Dimes.  They are committed to reducing premature births in the US and worldwide as quickly as possible.  Easter Seals is another group with a long history of services, programs and lobbying for the rights of people with disabilities. Sign up to get on these organizations' email alerts and you'll be amazed at what you'll learn. Plus, they make it easy for you to stay active and advocate for your children via the worldwide web.  

There are so many places that fight on our behalf at the state and federal level.  And others who raise money for important grants to create local programs that improve the lives of our families and loved ones in our very own communities.  Spend some time on the internet to learn more about what's available in your area and how you can help.  It's really time well spent.