One of those nearly 60,000 infected died this week. Paul Alexander was just six years old when he was placed in one of those iron lungs. When he died this week at the age of 78 he had been recognized by Guinness World Records as the person who had spent the longest amount of time living in an iron lung. Able only to move his head, neck, and mouth, Alexander was home-schooled in that iron lung. He graduated high school, college and even earned his Juris Doctor and admitted to the Texas Bar. He credited his success and “spirit of defiance” to his parents who instilled in him the belief he could do anything.

What better life to acknowledge this month, as National Developmental Disability Awareness Month challenges us to alter our way of thinking? To not assume the capabilities of those with developmental disabilities, but empower them to succeed.  

What were the headlines on the day you were born? https://www.washingtonpost.com/my-post/front-page

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month. Mistakenly, many shorten it to “Disability Awareness Month,” but the distinction is important. This is not to diminish those with other types of disabilities, but to highlight some unique barriers and successes of those with developmental disabilities. Many of these barriers are not remedied by the Americans with Disabilities Act and often lie in the misguided assumptions about people with developmental disabilities.

Each year the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) chooses a theme to campaign for the month. For 2024, the theme “A World of Opportunities” emphasizes our collective responsibility to create communities that eliminate barriers to ensure that everyone can do well and succeed. As Northeast Indiana grows, our communities are working to embody this theme. Efforts across the region are underway to ensure that people with disabilities are not just included, but integral to each part of our community life. We see it in Fort Wayne Airport increasing accessibility beyond ADA standards or Carey Services building the eMPower Academy for people with disabilities to explore career options and receive training. Programs like the Inclusion Institute and Leadership Fort Wayne are cultivating disabled leaders to ensure those voices are at decision-making tables. The YMCA of Steuben County is working on the Sheets Family Park to give the community a universally designed place to play together.

We can build on that momentum for an even more collective effort for disability inclusion. How can you adjust your hiring practices to ensure that an autistic person isn’t hindered by social norms in an interview process or someone using a screen reader is able to access your application fully? What assumptions do you need to challenge to allow someone with Down syndrome to work in your office or participate in your programs? What modifications to available housing can we make to ensure someone with cerebral palsy can live more independently?

What can you do in your daily life to empower people with developmental disabilities in our community? We must open ourselves up for a shift in mindset. Expectations set by assumptions based on stereotypes of people with developmental disabilities still persist. Those of us with and without disabilities are responsible for breaking down those barriers.

Let’s challenge assumptions and break down the barriers together.

We are happy to have members of the community use our universally designed meeting space for free. Periodically we supply the Community Food Pantries set up by Forward Indiana. We have set up a bin in our office to take donations for these pantries. If you're using our space and your group would like to help, bring us nonperishable food, hygiene items, formula, or winter supplies (hats, gloves, scarves, or hot hands) and we will be sure these valuable pantries are restocked.