Rachel, the mother of Jude, shared the following with me:

I contacted you many years ago about allowing me to print your People First Language document and distribute to my classmates in my OT program. My son has Down syndrome and PFL is my soap box. I wanted to say thank you.

In a community where we're trying to raise awareness about inclusion and Down syndrome, I am constantly swimming upstream trying to find inclusive activities. I recently pulled my son out of public school to start homeschooling. In an effort to increase social interaction for my son, I turned to our local DS Guild and they recommended Special Olympics. They totally missed my point—we don't want segregation in the community! Sometimes I feel like I'm "out of sync" to value and promote universal design and access for all. But your site helps to reaffirm my beliefs that inclusion for all is right!

My son, Jude, will be in a "regular" football camp this summer (for the 2nd time) and is joining a junior golf team in April. He took an acting class last summer and will attend another drama camp this summer. He has been the only child with a disability in all of these classes! People in these activities don't always know exactly what to do, but they're willing to learn and are open-minded. Inclusion is not only right, it's happening!

NOTE: See Rachel's other powerful story about People First Language here.