Talk to children about disability – and spare me more painful encounters | Devarshi Lodhia

A boy on a train grabbed my arm and started playing with it. Even if he didn’t understand consent, his mother should have

I’ve always believed, no matter how awkward the conversations might be, that it’s crucial for parents to teach their children about things such as disability, race, and gender from an early age; to explain why strangers they might come across don’t look, sound, act or dress like they do. Growing up, I know it would have made my life a whole lot easier and spared me countless stares – and probably a fair bit of bullying, too.

Related: Disabled women see #MeToo and think: what about us? | Anne Wafula Strike

Rather than intervening, his mother simply sat there and smiled at me as her son treated my arm like a toy

Related: Yes, I only have one hand. No, that doesn’t make me ‘brave’ | Devarshi Lodhia

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NS9NFI