Disability is Natural Newsletter

---the "Disability is Natural" book for parents, educators, and anyone else who cares about kids with disabilities. It includes strategies for achieving inclusive education and other topics which can make a difference in a child's life this school year. We had a tremendous response when Dr. Laura Schlessinger mentioned "Disability is Natural" on her national radio program the week of July 8th. It's now part of her recommended reading list, and she had many gracious comments about this life-changing book. Thank you, Dr. Laura!

---"Disability is Natural" and "Presume Competence" posters for home, school, or office, to help others learn new ways of thinking.

---the "Disability is Natural" video, a seven-minute inspirational and provocative lesson on how the lives of all people will change for the better when we, as a society and as individuals, recognize that disability is a natural part of life.

---Decals, stickers, lapel pins, mouse pads, and other goodies for yourself or to give to members of IEP and other planning teams, legislators, doctors, professionals, community folks, family members, and anyone else you want to influence.

---The "Revolutionary Common Sense" subscription newsletter, a bi-monthly publication for parents, people with disabilities, family members, and professionals, which features innovative articles and interviews with leaders in the disability field. The upcoming August-September issue features a thought-provoking interview with the principal of an award-winning inclusive elementary school. His wisdom can help parents and educators move toward schools where all children belong and all children learn.

Start the new school year with a new attitude and share it with others! I think you'll really enjoy the Disability is Natural goodies at www.disabilityisnatural.com

FIRE! and LESSONS LEARNED

In the middle of June, many Americans heard or saw daily updates on the wildfires in Colorado. The biggest of these was labeled the Hayman Fire. It made news not only because it was the biggest fire in Colorado history, but also because it was allegedly started by a Forest Service employee who was to ensure campers obeyed the fire ban in the Pike National Forest.

You may have watched the smoke and flames on the evening news. We did, too. But we also watched the smoke and red haze from our front yard.

Initially, the fire was more than 30 miles from our home. We live a couple of miles outside the city limits of Woodland Park, a lovely mountain town of about 7,000 people. Our neighborhood of two streets is composed of homes with no lawns, just the beauty of natural vegetation and thick stands of aspen, pines, and other evergreens. We live in the forest! For the first few days of the Hayman Fire, my husband and I assured ourselves and our children that our home would not be in danger. Before the fire could affect us, it would have to travel those 30 miles to the east and cross the two-lane state highway that runs close to our street. Our confidence was shaken, however, the third day of the fire when smoke swirled through the trees in our yard and the smell of burning wood entered our home. We didn't know if the fire had moved that fast or if another wildfire had started. As it turned out, the Hayman Fire had raced across nineteen miles of forest in one day. It was still somewhat distant, but a significant wind shift pushed the smoke and ash our way. This was, we were told, similar to the smoke and ash that poured from the Mt. St. Helen's volcanic eruption years ago. We couldn't see our mailbox at the end of the driveway.

We got into high gear. For years, we had been intending to cut down several trees that kissed the side of our house. A chain saw from the local hardware store got us started. A trip down to Colorado Springs (45 minutes away) got us a storage room, where we stored precious mementos and other important things. And after purchasing maps of our county and our state, we were able to track where the fire was in relation to our home. Surveying the sky and sniffing the air several times each day became routine. Over the next two weeks, distinct plumes were often visible. Other days, the noon sky looked like sundown: a red glow obscured the bright blue Colorado sky.

Watching the news took on a new meaning. The wind direction had a powerful influence on the fire. We became armchair analysts on the fire's progress as we watched the weather forecast and pinpointed the fire's edge on our maps. It was getting closer.

Then one day, the announcement came: our area was put on "standby evacuation." For nine days, we existed in a surreal world. It was hard to focus on work. Meals were hastily prepared and hastily eaten. The relaxing activities of watching mindless television or listening to the radio were replaced by constant monitoring of the news. After two or three days of tension, we tried to "get back to normal." But this seemed impossible. With the walls stripped of photos and our children's artwork, and with packed suitcases lining the hall, our home no longer felt like home. How could we "get back to normal?" We couldn't even pretend.

Fortunately---or unfortunately, depending on your point of view---we learned to exist, one day at a time. Even so, each day was different. On a given day, the fire traveled several miles, cutting a wide swath. Fear and anxiety increased. Then the wind turned the fire back on itself, and we relaxed a bit. Hours later, another wind shift sent the flames roaring our way again. And so it went. We were angry at the woman who allegedly started the fire. But we were angrier at the fire. How dare it come near OUR home?

The fire was relentless. It jumped the highway. It was now a short six miles from our home. Many of our neighbors fled. We decided to stay until the "standby evacuation" notice became an official order to leave. And then the brave, hardworking firefighters got the fire under control. It wasn't "out," it was just "contained" and no longer growing. The standby evacuation notice was lifted. Suitcases were unpacked; photos were rehung; mindless television returned.

Life seems "back to normal." But is it? We now know what many others who have faced disaster know: it can happen to us. The Hayman Fire touched us and changed our lives. Living in the forest is a choice we made; we must also live with the consequences. Fire is a natural part of life. How could we be angry at it? In the wake of the fire's destruction, new trees will sprout and new wildflowers will blossom. In many ways, the forest is reborn.

And so are we. Our family is better prepared for the next fire. We know what's important. We know what to do. We will not be so frightened next time. We know we will survive, and like the forest, we'll grow anew. We have created a new "normal."

Isn't this what can happen when a child is diagnosed with a disability? Like fire, disability is also a natural part of life. Shall we be angry --- at the disability, at the doctor who made the diagnosis, or at the child? Perhaps our anger isn't focused; it manifests itself as a generalized frustration, sadness, guilt, or other feeling that smolders just beneath the surface, only to explode at some later time.

Many of us keep waiting for things to "get back to normal." And we wait and wait and wait for this day---sometimes for years---believing our "normal" will only be restored when a child can walk, talk, feed himself, read, behave, or whatever.

Can we, instead, create a new "normal" for ourselves and our families in which we see that a person with a disability is fine, just the way he is? That instead of "fixing him" or "restoring him to normalcy," we simply provide him with the tools and accommodations he needs to be successful? And in turn, can we share this paradigm with our extended families, friends, neighbors, educators, and others?

Can we, as individuals and families, choose to experience a rebirth, so that positive new words, dignified new perceptions, and respectful new ways of thinking about children and adults can take root and grow?

During the Hayman Fire, we realized that although a fire may be frightening, it's a natural force which we need to accept if we want to enjoy the beauty of the forest. For three weeks, we didn't see the beauty of the trees that surround our home. Instead, we saw the trees as fuel for the fire, as timbers that could set our home on fire. The trees, in a sense, had become part of the enemy. We've had to regain our perspective to see the beauty of the trees again --- to enjoy their height, their graceful branches, the shade they provide, and the whispers they make when the wind blows. We've also realized the need to enter into a respectful co-existence with the possibility of fire.

It seems we can apply this philosophy to disability. We can recognize that disability is a natural part of life, instead of seeing it as an enemy to be defeated. Then we'll be able to see and enjoy the beauty --- the gifts, talents, and abilities --- of people with disabilities. We can recognize that disability can and will touch all of us, in one way or another, during our lifetimes. And we can decide to move beyond anger and fear, and enter into a respectful co-existence with disabilities and differences.

STARS: REAL PEOPLE SHOWCASED!

In the May 2002 Email announcement, I asked for photos of adults and children with disabilities. It took awhile, but these new pictures have now been added to the web site, so please take a moment and check it out the real people---the "stars"---who grace the pages of www.disabilityisnatural.com

We try to include new photos on a regular basis, so if you're a person with a disability and would like your photo included, or if you're a parent and would like a picture of your child with a disability included, send us a photo! Please include the following information: your permission to use the picture on the http://www.disabilityisnatural.com web site, your name and address, the name(s) of the person(s) in the photo.

Please note: only photos of individuals with disabilities and/or photos of individuals with disabilities with their family members can be used. We're unable to include group photos which include friends or classmates due to the difficulty of obtaining permission from others in the photo. To ensure privacy, only the first name(s) and home state will be used in the caption of the photo. Please send the photo and information to braveheartpress@aol.com and attach the photo as a JPEG file. You may also mail your photo (along with the other information) to BraveHeart Press, PO Box 7245, Woodland Park, CO 80863. (Photos cannot be returned.)

We're unable to guarantee that any particular photo will be used, nor can we guarantee how long a particular photo will be included on the web site. Thanks for your interest!

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TEXAS PRESENTATION

I wanted to take this opportunity to let folks in the Houston area know that I'll be presenting a workshop on Thursday, August 7, from 6:00-9:00 PM, at the Family-to-Family Network, 13150 FM 521, Suite 106, in Houston. Please call toll-free 1-866-466-7350 or 713-466-6304 for more information. Hope to see you there! (Please visit www.disabilityisnatural.com for a list of other presentation dates and times; click on the "Presentations" icon on the home page. And check the list regularly; it's updated as new presentation opportunities are added.)

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SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS! We can all learn so much from each other. If you have experiences, ideas, or suggestions that can benefit others, please share them with me, and I'll share them with others! Write to me via Email kathie@disabilityisnatural.com or regular mail (Kathie Snow, BraveHeart Press, PO Box 7245, Woodland Park, CO 80863).

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Please feel free to share this Email with others, and invite your friends, family, and coworkers to visit www.disabilityisnatural.com and check out what's new! While you're there, take a moment to share your comments, suggestions, questions, and ideas.

Lead with a brave heart, Kathie Snow

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