tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post3280091724227943378..comments2023-10-30T08:58:17.723+00:00Comments on Simplicity: Make Us Citizens and Watch Us GrowUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-28909962867697958252008-05-12T22:41:00.000+01:002008-05-12T22:41:00.000+01:00Great story from your mother's notes Lois - obviou...Great story from your mother's notes Lois - obviously a wise woman!<BR/><BR/>Many of the people I worked with in those days were very stylish - even if the label society had placed on them said ‘learning disability’ :-)Trevor Gayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01148705981847576706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-79046939284034521582008-05-12T19:28:00.000+01:002008-05-12T19:28:00.000+01:00A note my mother kept from a lecture some twenty y...A note my mother kept from a lecture some twenty years ago-<BR/><BR/>'A normal person is one who has not been properly assessed.'<BR/><BR/><BR/>Add my favourite from Quentin Crisp-<BR/><BR/>'Style is being yourself, on purpose'<BR/><BR/>and I think the world would be an even more interesting place if we strove to be 'stylish' rather than 'normal', n'est pas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-60838705068636410032008-05-07T10:04:00.000+01:002008-05-07T10:04:00.000+01:00Thanks Richard – it’s very kind of you to say that...Thanks Richard – it’s very kind of you to say that. I hope my grandchildren grow up with the good sense not to judge people by some label or stereotype but as individuals. We can all do that and we as adults should set that example. Surely that is one of the best personal legacies we can leave this world.<BR/><BR/>Yes I am very proud to have been involved in such a fantastic project that did make a difference.Trevor Gayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01148705981847576706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-59258309590293921402008-05-07T09:16:00.000+01:002008-05-07T09:16:00.000+01:00You have such a great story to tell your grandchil...You have such a great story to tell your grandchildren. <BR/><BR/>You did the work we all want to do. Work that makes a difference - work that has real meaning. In this case it made a difference to 140 patients AND to a community whose irrational fears were holding them back. <BR/><BR/>You must be truly proud of those two outcomes. Well done!Richard Lipscombehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12234241236732488698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-69124606508004497462008-05-07T08:31:00.000+01:002008-05-07T08:31:00.000+01:00Hi Dave – good to hear from you. You are so right ...Hi Dave – good to hear from you. <BR/><BR/>You are so right about the seemingly impossible task of getting rid of a ‘label’ once you have it. Spending time with people who have a learning disability taught me so much about the unfairness of labels and has had a lasting effect. <BR/><BR/>There are so many stories ... I could write a book ... maybe I should in my ‘spare’ time :-)Trevor Gayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01148705981847576706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-42401973721502411802008-05-07T02:37:00.000+01:002008-05-07T02:37:00.000+01:00It seems that public schools are quick to label ki...It seems that public schools are quick to label kids today as medically or mentally "deficient" with little to zero professional testing or diagnosis. Once the label gets applied, it is difficult to lose and does have implications on their development and opportunities. Advocates like you Trevor are a marvelous thing...and make a difference!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-6461801329981537482008-05-06T22:36:00.000+01:002008-05-06T22:36:00.000+01:00Joel - your Dad was a wise man. I agree with your ...Joel - your Dad was a wise man. I agree with your comment about ‘changing our lives’ - working for almost 10 years with people who had a learning disability changed me for the better (I hope)<BR/><BR/>John - a brilliant observation. In England until relatively recently the term used was ‘mentally handicapped’ and when I think about that now, how awful it sounds! Most of the people I met and worked alongside were wonderful- many were gifted and they taught me much. And the family carers were inspiring people. Thank you for your powerful and very personal words - I feel honoured and somewhat humbled that you share them with us John.Trevor Gayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01148705981847576706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-32633461176888227342008-05-06T22:26:00.000+01:002008-05-06T22:26:00.000+01:00When I was just starting school in Arlington, Mass...When I was just starting school in Arlington, Massachusetts, I stuttered a lot (I was later told) and my mother assumed I had a learning disability. (The polite term for that in the 1950s was "retarded.") My mother - who as a school teacher was knowledgeable on the subject - even told my older sister to cut me some slack because of my apparent deficits. Fortunately I grew out of this condition (WHATEVER it was). I don't remember much about it, except for the persistent FEELING that I was stupid even after I began to perform at high levels in school. So apparently such characterizations leave their mark.JOHN O'LEARYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13224573243221385179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9533912.post-36355783012375401042008-05-06T17:48:00.000+01:002008-05-06T17:48:00.000+01:00My father taught us from my earliest memories that...My father taught us from my earliest memories that you take each individual <B>as</B> an individual. We had no concept of prejudice as children, despite growing up in a time and place where it was common.<BR/><BR/>Without that lesson, I would have missed so much that's enriched my life.<BR/><BR/>I'm currently reading Mel Levine's <I>A Mind at a Time</I>, all about children with 'learning disabilities' and how the simple act of understanding them as individuals can change their lives.<BR/><BR/>Not to mention our own.Joel D Canfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15346047838739575447noreply@blogger.com