Something about parenting
What's it like to have a disability as a parent?
Amy Kavanagh lives in the UK and celebrates her disability. She has ocular albinism, a genetic condition that, according the American Academy of Ophthalmology, reduces pigmentation in one’ eyes and causes visual impairments. She has devoted herself to “sharing her lived experience navigating the world as a blind Londoner.”
“Disabled is not a bad word, disability is not shameful. I try to live each day as a challenge to those attitudes and the barriers they create.”
One of the experiences she shared was her reflections on becoming and being a parent. She told the story in an essay entitled, “Pregnancy, parenting, and embracing blindness.” In her lede, she speaks to her (sighted) young son:
Cat! You shout it joyfully, sitting in your highchair, looking out into the garden, porridge in your hair. The same hair as mine, so bright and blonde that everyone mentions it when they first meet you.
“Cat! Cat!”
It’s one of your favourite, first words. I turn around to face the window, but it’s pointless. The wintery garden is a blur of green and grey and brown.
“Oh, is there a cat, my love?”
But you’re already more interested in spooning breakfast onto the floor.
I found her reflections to offer insight into aspects of parenting that I hadn’t considered. Perspective is an interesting word to use here, but Dr. Kavanagh gave me some.
The reflections are accompanied by wonderful, intimate photographs by Shona Louise.
Ms.-Dr. Kavanagh curated a series of messages entitled “The Joy of Being Disabled” for the Wellcome Collection. Her’s is one of the five essays in the section. The not-for-profit Wellcome Collection is a wonderful resource about medicine, health, and people that includes items about disabilities.