Presume Competence

This article is well on the way to becoming viral.  The vision of what's possible when we presume competence is glorious in its brilliance.  Read the article.  Support the vision.  Go.

This image startled me when I read the article a second time:


100 years ago, all of the individuals in this picture would be ineligible to benefit from a college education, whether due to gender, race, or disability.  All would be considered inferior, incompetent, undeserving.

How much richer our world is when we presume competence.

Calling out ableism

In the course of conversations, I occasionally get the opportunity to call out examples of casual able-ism.  Usually, when this happens, the other person will apologize and move on.  Yay!

In a recent conversation on Facebook, however, I came across someone who described a public personality as:

I just think he doesn't care one way or the other. He goes with whatever way the wind blows. Frankly, I think he is somewhere on the spectrum.

To which I responded:

Why did you use "on the spectrum" as a slur..?

The response showed a lack of understanding as to what I meant:

I didn't. I used it quite seriously. He seems disconnected. His affect is off. Galit, I am disturbed you drew the wrong conclusion about me.

So I explained:

Autism and ASD are not equivalent to apathy ("I just think he doesn't care one way or the other.") Nor do people on the spectrum typically "go with whatever way the wind blows."

Now the other person got really upset:

Galit, you know nothing about me and you are making slurs against ME. Go away.

Whoa!  Did I say anything that warranted that?  Did I say anything about the person I was conversing with?  Well, I tried to calm things down:

 I didn't claim to know anything about you, nor did I slur you. I do know something about autism. I understand that you might have made the statement you did out of a common misconception about the nature of autism. I am sorry if I touched a raw nerve for you with my comments. There is much prejudice around disability, even today, and I try to point it out when I see it come up in casual conversation. I don't want to hijack the thread, that's not what it is about. Peace.

Alas, peace was not to be had:

Galit, you lectured me. You made assumptions about me. And you are still doing so. Please go away.

==========================

Was I off base?  What do you think was going on?
(Obviously, I did not persist at this point, as any further attempts seemed pointless.)

DS and race

I don't usually get into this kind of issue, but this caught my eye today:

http://roadwevesharedgzp.weebly.com/the-roadmap-blog/research-and-adults-who-have-down-syndrome

The basic data is this:


Whites have been making steady progress in improving prognosis for the various conditions associated with Trisomy 21 since the 70's, but minorities did not even start to catch up until the 90's.  I have not seen more recent data, but I am certain that differences in access to quality pre- and post-natal care, as well as educational and social resources, account for much of these differences.

Power Cafe!

I have been out of the blogging loop for the past few weeks because I have been ramping up to unveiling my latest project.  I'm starting a coffee shop!   Rather than just talk about disability rights, and bemoan the lack of opportunity for people with special needs, I decided to do something about it, and put my money where my mouth is.  Power Cafe! will be a coffee shop in the Boston area (location TBD) which will be staffed and run entirely by people with disabilities.  I am working to put all the pieces together, and if all works out, we could open as soon as September or October.

Is this exciting or what?!  Please help make this a reality by contributing to my IndieGoGo campaign, and share with your friends on social media, too!

Thanks so much!!!!

Haftorah Beam - Terumah

I seem to have missed blogging about this Torah portion last year.....  It deals with the collection of funds and materials for the Tabernacle, as well as instructions for its construction.

The Haftorah portion for this week is skipped because it is the beginning of the month of Adar, so we read the Rosh Hodesh Haftorah instead, which I've already blogged about.  So technically I can flake out on this one....  but I'll make an effort anyway.

This commentary emphasizes the need to focus on the internal devotion more than the external trappings of religious observance.  I was drawn to this verse (1 Kings 6:7):

וְהַבַּיִת, בְּהִבָּנֹתוֹ--אֶבֶן-שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע, נִבְנָה; וּמַקָּבוֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן כָּל-כְּלִי בַרְזֶל, לֹא-נִשְׁמַע בַּבַּיִת בְּהִבָּנֹתוֹ.

7 For the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.--

The stones were prepared at the quarry, so that no sounds of violence and destruction would be heard at the actual construction site.  This seems to me a metaphor for the preparation we make for doing sacred work. The axes and hammers are necessary.  Conflict and strife, pain and struggle, are often necessary in order to build the sanctuary of our souls, and to construct a perfected world (Tikkun Olam). However, we should take care to work our way through it "in the quarry", so that it does not detract from the sacred work itself.

With respect to this blog, it seems to connect to the preparation that we must do to welcome an orphaned and/or disabled child into our home.  There is often doubt and ambivalence, fear and resentment, when anticipating the needs of such a child. We owe it to the child and to ourselves to work through all these issues ahead of time -- in the quarry -- so that the child is welcomed into an edifice built of whole stones  "אֶבֶן-שְׁלֵמָה".

Reelabilities - "Anita"

We are planning to go see "Anita" at the Boston Reelabilities Film Festival next Wednesday. (Spanish with English subtitles). From the website:

Anita, a young woman with Down syndrome, gets separated from her mother after a bomb explodes at their Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. As she wanders the city searching for her mom–alone for the first time ever–she discovers an inner strength few could have expected.

It will show at the

Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center
333 Nahanton Street Newton, MA 02459 

at 7p.m. and will be preceded by a reception at 6:30p.m.  A Q&A will follow.

This film connects to my blog in several ways.  It is set in the Jewish community in Argentina, and confronts the human reality of anti-Semitic violence.  It portrays an individual with Down syndrome as a multi-faceted human being, with strengths and failings, neither sub-human nor angelic. And it wrestles with the tragedy of parental loss.  

Trailer:

See you there!

Reelabilities Festival

Began in Boston tonight!

Haftorah Beam - BeShalach

I had a mental block on this for 2 weeks, and now I know why.

This Haftorah shares the theme of song with the Torah portion: In the Torah, Miriam leads the Children of Israel in song after crossing the Sea of Reeds, safely away from their Egyptian oppressors.  In the Haftorah, Deborah sings in celebration of victory over the Canaanites.  The songs are both full of militaristic glee which can be dissonant to modern sensibilities, and yet convey a very powerful, human emotion.

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  This article showed up in my FaceBook feed. Please read it.  I will summarize the article in order to get to the conclusion, but the article deserves to be read in its entirety.

But this is what the great Dr. Martin Luther King accomplished. Not that he marched, nor that he gave speeches.
He ended the terror of living as a black person, especially in the south.
<...>
This constant low level dread of atavistic violence is what kept the system running. It made life miserable, stressful and terrifying for black people. 
<...>
This is the climate of fear that Dr. King ended.
<...>
The question is, how did Dr. King do this—and of course, he didn't do it alone....So what did they do?
They told us: Whatever you are most afraid of doing vis-a-vis white people, go do it. Go ahead down to city hall and try to register to vote, even if they say no, even if they take your name down.
<...>
If we do it all together, we'll be okay.
They made black people experience the worst of the worst, collectively, that white people could dish out, and discover that it wasn't that bad. They taught black people how to take a beating—from the southern cops, from police dogs, from fire department hoses. They actually coached young people how to crouch, cover their heads with their arms and take the beating. They taught people how to go to jail, which terrified most decent people.
And you know what? The worst of the worst, wasn't that bad.
Once people had been beaten, had dogs sicced on them, had fire hoses sprayed on them, and been thrown in jail, you know what happened?
These magnificent young black people began singing freedom songs in jail.
That, my friends, is what ended the terrorism of the south. Confronting your worst fears, living through it, and breaking out in a deep throated freedom song.

And that is what this Parsha is about.

Confronting your worst fears, living through it, and breaking out in a deep throated freedom song.

What was I doing on MLK Day?

My wonderful husband started an informal organization of Barbershop singers, Healing Harmony Quartets, to sing in hospitals.  Yesterday we visited Lyla Spitz, who is recovering from open heart surgery at Children's Hospital Boston.  She was tired and in pain after coming of the strong painkillers, and did not want to get up from her chair.  But when the music started she was unstoppable!  She danced and smiled and followed the singers as they made their way around the floor, singing for other patients and staff.  Such is the power of music to liberate people from both external oppression and internal suffering.

And today, this.

Now I understand why I wasn't motivated to write something generic 2 weeks ago.  This is what this parsha is about.

The Music of Freedom.

Fear of disability

3 links:

This one has been making the rounds;

and this one is a response to it.

And this is a reality check, about what's actually scary.

Counter-intuitive

How often in life to we need to take what feels like a step back in order to move forward?  A few months ago I wrote about my experience as a teen learning to rock-climb, when I realized that in order to climb up the cliff I had to lean back - hard - and no, I will not fall.

I had a similar experience in my twenties, when I tried my hand in hang-gliding.



In order to launch and become airborne, we were instructed to run full speed down the hill - with 50 lbs. of equipment securely strapped to our backs. At the very moment that your vestibular system tells you that you are about to fall down head first - at that moment the glider's lift catches you. In fact, listening to your body would have you lean back to block your descent - precisely causing you to fall down.

A few years later, when I gave birth to my third child, I experienced this effect again.  Pushing the baby out would seem to require a supreme exertion: "Push, push!" we stereotypically tell a birthing mom. This, however, is misleading.  Attempting to do so literally results in clenching the entire abdomen - including the cervix, which needs to relax in order to allow the baby to exit. Much better is the midwifery advice to "breathe your baby out".  Relaxing the lower muscles allow the higher muscles to work more efficiently, with less effort.

Now I have 5 children.  I am frequently met with incredulity. "How can you do that?"  My stock answer is that it is actually easier with 5 than with 2. Parents of small families tend to be a lot more anxious about control issues.  As the family grows, we acquire some amount of wisdom and some amount of just letting go.  Letting go of control, like relaxing muscles that don't need to "push", allows the parents (like the uterus) to work more efficiently and with less effort.

When do our instincts give us good guidance, and when do we need to do the counter-intuitive thing and get our over-thinking out of the way of doing things right?

Haftorah Beam - Shabbat Hanukkah

This past week's Torah portion was Parshat Miketz, but the usual Haftorah portion is substituted with a special reading for Hanukkah.

In this reading, the prophet Zechariah heralds the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, recounting a vision of the ordination of Joshua, the first High Priest who would serve in the Second Temple, as well as the grander vision of an age which shall be ruled, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit — said the LORD of hosts."



This age is symbolized by the Hanukkah menorah -- the triumph of light over darkness, of a small band of believers against an empire dedicated to self-gratification:

Chapter 4¹ The angel who taked with me came back and woke me as a man is wakened from sleep. ² He said to me, "What do you see?" And I answered, "I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number, and the lamps above it have seven pipes; ³ and by it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and one on its left."

This theme is also reflected in the earlier section of the Haftorah reading, where Joshua is called forth to serve in the Temple:

Satan was seeking to incriminate Joshua, the first High Priest to serve in the Second Temple, because of the "soiled garments" (i.e. sins) he was wearing. G‑d himself defends the High Priest: "And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; the Lord who chose Jerusalem shall rebuke you. Is [Joshua] not a brand plucked from fire?" I.e., how dare Satan prosecute an individual who endured the hardships of exile? "And He raised His voice and said to those standing before him, saying, 'Take the filthy garments off him.' And He said to him, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I have clad you with clean garments.'"

This expression, אוּד, מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ is an apt metaphor for oppressed and marginalized people, who are clothed in "filthy garments" - poverty, disability, discrimination and so on. Just as the Jewish people are "a brand plucked (literally, 'rescued') from the fire" throughout history, so we are called upon to see beyond Satan's "filthy garments" and rescue these brands from the fires of their oppression.

ז  מִי-אַתָּה הַר-הַגָּדוֹל לִפְנֵי זְרֻבָּבֶל, לְמִישֹׁר; וְהוֹצִיא, אֶת-הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה--תְּשֻׁאוֹת, חֵן חֵן לָהּ.

7 Who art thou, O great mountain before Zerubbabel? Thou shalt become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings of Grace, grace, unto it.'

and

י  בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, תִּקְרְאוּ, אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ--אֶל-תַּחַת גֶּפֶן, וְאֶל-תַּחַת תְּאֵנָה.

10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree.

Happy Hanukkah!

Haftorah Beam - VaYeshev

My commentary on the Torah portion for this week last year was not very inspiring.  The Haftorah, however, is much more fertile. (Hmm. perhaps, considering the sexual overtones of the Torah reading, that might not be the best word choice....)

The reading opens with a provocative accusation:

כֹּה, אָמַר יְהוָה, עַל-שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל-אַרְבָּעָה לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ:  עַל-מִכְרָם בַּכֶּסֶף צַדִּיק, וְאֶבְיוֹן בַּעֲבוּר נַעֲלָיִם.

6 Thus saith the LORD: For three transgressions of Israel, yea, for four, I will not reverse it: because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes;

The connection to the Torah reading is the parallel to the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelite caravan by his brothers.  However,

RADAK  expands on this explanation by noting that in the context of the verse, "For three I would forgive, etc.," the meaning here is though the People of Israel violated the  three cardinal sins: sexual immorality, idol worship, and the shedding of blood, HaShem says that He would have forgiven them those sins.  But when they did "chamas,"  violence in a social context, taking violent advantage of the poor and perverting justice,  that was too much, even as it was at the time of the Generation of the Flood, where the text reads (Bereshit 6:11), "And the earth was corrupt before G-d and the earth was filled with violence."

In other words, "taking violent advantage of the poor and perverting justice" is worse than idolatry, adultery and murder, the three cardinal sins of Judaism.

The prophet Amos goes on to distinguish between the sins of other nations from the standard to which Israel is held accountable.  Chosenness comes at a price.  As the joke goes "Do You have to choose us every time?"  Jews are called upon to stand up for the downtrodden; the poor and the stranger, the orphan and the widow. Indeed, Tikkun Olam has a longstanding tradition in Judaism.  In every generation, even long after "official" prophesy had ceased to be recognized, there have been those to rebuke the nation, proclaiming,

ז  כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, דָּבָר, כִּי אִם-גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ, אֶל-עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים.	7 For the Lord G*D will do nothing, but He revealeth His counsel unto His servants the prophets.
ח  אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג, מִי לֹא יִירָא; אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה דִּבֶּר, מִי לֹא יִנָּבֵא.	8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord G*D hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

G*d does not act directly in the world -- without people taking action, the downtrodden will remain in their misery.  It is up to us to hear the lion roar. And once we have heard, "who can but prophesy?"

Autism

There is a stir in the Autism community.  One of the largest "Autism Advocacy" organizations, Autism Speaks, finds itself at odds with a large segment of the very community it purports to represent.  Countless autistics proclaim,



One of the main complaints about Autism Speaks is that it fails to actually include autistics in its leadership.  Much of the research and programs which it sponsors is informed by the perspectives of parents, teachers, and others in society.  For example, it is affiliated with the Judge Rotenberg Center, which has used questionable treatments (some would say torture) on autistics in an attempt to "cure" them.

Why is this happening now?

There seems to be a critical mass of adult autistics who have found ways to communicate, and are now advocating for themselves, where before it was left to parents, teachers, etc. to guess at their needs.  They report eloquently about the counterproductive and downright harmful practices to which they had been subjected.  Long assumed to be "lost in their own world", "lacking in empathy", or "mentally ret@rded", these self-advocates clarify that they are largely suffering from a sensory input overload.  They avoid eye contact, not because they are unable to connect with the other, but because such contact is unbearably intense. They self-stimulate (stim), sometimes to the point of injury, not because they are insensitive to the input, but in an attempt to deaden the overload to a manageable level.  Therapies which force them to maintain eye contact and keep "quiet hands" are therefore both emotionally abusive and undermine the subjects' coping mechanisms.

Of course, many autistics have not reached this point, and are still relying on others to speak for them.  And these others may or may not have the tools to facilitate this kind of development.  They may be relying on outdated information, or even desperately grasping for quack cures.  In spite of their best intentions and love for their autistic child, they unwittingly become part of the problem.

It seems as though autism is going through a similar evolution as Down syndrome and other disabilities.  Rather than a problem that we should want to disappear, it is an opportunity to understand another dimension of our own humanity.

31 4 21 What is disability?

I just came upon this article by a physically disabled woman.  She bucks the trend of "people first language", insisting that she is NOT a "person with a disability":

The main argument in favor of the phrase “person with a disability” is that it’s “person first.” Whaaaat? No one has ever told me that I should describe myself as a “person with gayness” or a “person with womanliness.” I’m gay and I’m a woman -- no need to qualify that I’m a person too. But I have been told that I’m wrong for calling myself “disabled” rather than a “person with a disability.” 

However, unlike "gay" and "woman", she sees "disabled" as relative to society as opposed to an intrinsic aspect of her being:

Most people look at the word “disabled” and assume it means “less able.” It doesn’t. It means “prevented from functioning.” When I turn the wireless connection off on my computer, I get told that the connection has been “disabled”:Does this mean that my wifi has suddenly become less able or broken? Has my wifi acquired a disability? Of course not. It has been prevented from functioning by an external force. In a very similar way to how I’m disabled by bus drivers that just won’t stop if they see me -- a wheelchair user -- waiting at the bus stop.

I find this a fascinating construction of the concept of disability, especially as it relates to my own writing on this subject.  How would Lisa's understanding of her own condition change if instead of creating "accessible environments" society responded by inventing step-climbing wheelchairs?


...and made them widely and cheaply available?

I imagine the result would be similar to nearsightedness, which is no longer truly considered a "disability".

What would it take to do this for people with T21?  To create not only accessible environments via inclusive educational opportunities, but to actually give them the tools with which they can function without disruptive impairment?

Many T21 spokespersons worry about this devaluing people with T21 and their unique perspectives and contributions.  I believe that creating technologies, whether mechanical or medical, which address the specific needs of the people themselves, is the best way of VALUING them.  Was the wheelchair in the video above invented by engineers who devalue people with mobility impairments?

31 4 21 Buddy Walk this Sunday!

The Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress will be running the 17th annual Buddy Walk this Sunday.  Why do they have to do it on Columbus Day weekend?  I'm trying to recruit people to walk with us, and everybody is going away for the weekend!  It's not fair!  Waaaaahhhhh!!!!

Anyway, if you want to sponsor me, please click here.

31 4 21 A Sonnet

What deserves protection, love, and care?

And what do we reject and cast aside?

In building a society that’s fair

Do differences unite us or divide?

The prejudice that poisons our minds

Builds prisons, metaphorical and real

Where lives are lost or squandered to our blinds

Are we, or they, more difficult to heal?

For gender, race or disability

Our preconceptions must be ripped apart

We’ll build a world of Possibility

And give our children’s world a better heart

It isn’t easy now, nor ever was

To herald Love and Justice in one’s Cause

What is disability?

I am very nearsighted.  Without glasses, I cannot drive safely, cannot read a blackboard even from the front row, and struggle with recognizing faces across a gym. In a world without glasses, I would be severely handicapped in all of these ordinary activities.  I would probably have struggled to learn to read and write, which would impact my ability to access an education.  This would manifest as a learning disability, perhaps even an intellectual delay.

What options would I have?  I could find occupations which do not require good vision, I could live in an area well-served by public transportation, and I would probably lean heavily on family, friends and strangers to assist me in day-to-day activities.  Many would think that I am a burden on society, since I require so much help, and yet can only perform low-level tasks. My family would probably advocate for me to be included, to be provided accommodations which would enable me to participate more fully, and for me to be appreciated for my strengths, not judged on the basis of my eyesight.  And in a world without glasses, they would be right to do so!

Instead, what choices do I have in today's actual world?  With glasses, I can participate in nearly all activities.  With contact lenses, there is a vanishingly small number of activities where I would be limited.  If I truly need full vision, I can shell out the big bucks for Lazik treatment. Or, I can choose to take my glasses off and use my extra-short focal length to look at things closely.  It is all about having choices.

In the real world of disability we see a similar tension between seeking treatment and acceptance.  Between trying to compensate for the disability and become "typical" and trying to change society to be more accepting of differences.  There is a lot of fear that investing in research into treatment would undermine the struggle for acceptance.  I think this is misguided.  Research into treatment is all about giving people with disabilities the choices to control their own destiny.  As a nearsighted person, I can decide what strategy makes the most sense for me. Many mildly nearsighted people choose to forgo glasses -- that is a legitimate choice! Even with my low level of vision, I usually prefer the comfort of going without glasses when I am swimming.  I have other friends who invest in corrective goggles.  Some deaf people are delighted to use cochlear implants, others prefer building up deaf culture to trying to fit in with hearing culture, and still others use hearing aids, which can be turned on or off depending on situation.  It is all about choice!

With any disability for which there is no universally accepted treatment, a civil society will seek to make accommodations for affected individuals.  A civil society will also research technologies which will give disabled individuals more options.  It is not either/or, but and/also.

Why adoption matters

Most people think of adoption as just an alternative way to add another child to a family, and it is certainly that.

But there are times and situations when it can be a catalyst for many other ripples and effects.

It can raise awareness in the adopting family and community to the level of need, whether in domestic foster care or in foreign institutions and orphanages.

And it can bring hope to those foreign institutions and orphanages (and their societies) that the children who have been previously rejected can have a future where they are loved and cared for.

Julia and Rob Nalle adopted a boy with Arthrogryposis (a physical disability) three years ago. Here is their story about the ripples that their adoption has had so far.

Tikva orphanage update - Please help!

Last year, I wrote an upbeat post about a Ukrainian orphanage for Jewish children, and contrasted it with the abysmal care offered in many state-run institutions.  A Facebook friend shared this update with me:

In a Ukrainian Jewish orphanage, Tikva, economic downturn hits home

Apparently, the economic downturn has hit it hard, and they are in need of donations. Please help and share!

Ableism and Disableism Part 3: Down syndrome cure/treatment/research

Part of the tension between ableism and disableism rests on the distinction between fixing the disability and fixing the person. Or, which aspects of disability should be fixed in the disabled person, and which should be fixed in society's acceptance of disability.  We see this in many disabilities:  There is a significant segment of deaf culture which rejects cochlear implants, making the statement that deafness is not a problem.  Likewise, increased wheelchair accessibility means that mobility-impaired individuals can get around.  Do some seek prostheses in order to restore the ability to walk?  Yes, but like cochlear implants, it is one option.

In the Down syndrome community, there is a similar tension.  Do we seek every possible treatment and therapy in order to "normalize" children with T21, or do we instead seek to make society more accepting and accessible to them?  With the new potential treatments/cures coming out of research laboratories, there is also the question of mucking around with people's personality in the name of such "normalization".  Intellectual disability and its treatment involve changes to the brain, an incredibly complex organ where, in fact, our personality resides.  We know with everything from ADHD to depression, psychoactive medications often have unpredictable side-effects.

I don't think it is really an "either/or".  I think that it is great that cochlear implants are available.  Many people's lives are greatly improved by them.  It is also great that many people have the option to do without them, and nonetheless live full lives.  It is great that the medical research community is looking to improve the lives of people with disabilities, and also that we work to make society more inclusive and accessible.  In fact, I believe that those two trends, far from being opposite, actually catalyze each other.  When people with disabilities are included, awareness of their needs rises, and researchers are inspired to address them.  At the same time, as various means are available to overcome the disabilities, inclusion becomes easier.

When researchers find a way to improve brain development in pseudo-Down-syndrome mice, or use stem cells to selectively disable the 3rd copy of the 21st chromosome, they are generating new options for parents of children with Trisomy 21.  Would all parents rush out to get these treatments when they become available? Of course not.  Most people are NOT early adopters of new treatments.  Some would, blazing the path for those who come after them, as we see which treatments actually improve outcomes.  Also, some parents who would otherwise opt to abort based on a prenatal diagnosis of T21, would instead carry to term and access the new treatments.

Children with Down syndrome can access physical, occupational, and speech therapy.  They can get medical and surgical treatment for heart defects and gastrointestinal issues.  They can get vision and hearing aids, as well as specialized nutrition regimens.  All of these are designed, in one way or another, to "normalize" them in ways which will make life easier.    If the new treatments assist in this goal, I am sure that many parents would pursue them eagerly.

What do you think?