In the News: Treatment of the Most Vulnerable

It’s easy to see inspiration porn and think things are changing for vulnerable kids and adults with disabilities. We want to make sure these stories are seen, and that you know, there is much work to be done. People with disabilities aren’t just vulnerable for physical abuse at the hands of other people, there are other ways they are vulnerable because of physical and financial reasons and limitations. I really wanted to title this WTH, people? Sadly, there is no shortage of stories that need to be told.

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Here is a well written series on abuse and neglect of adults with developmental disabilities in state run facilities and group homes in Illinois. There’s information on rankings on state funding from best to worst. Where’s your state on the list?

Here is a follow-up from this week as a result of the investigation above. Judge tells home to turn over disabled residents.

In Texas this week, a woman who adopted eight children with special needs and her boyfriend are being charged with child cruelty for treatment of seven of them. One of the children died in 2007, which of course, raises new questions now. CPS won’t say how that child died.

Remember the story last month about the boy with autism who wanted to say “gobble, gobble” at the microphone and the teacher rushed to the stage so he wasn’t able to? Apparently the school spokesperson said the teacher wasn’t reprimanded because there was no ill intent. This was at a performance, in front of a hundred people with cameras.

Hardly more vulnerable are the people with disabilities who are cared for outside their familial homes, as is the case here with these men who have been abusing people in their care. These are the stories that keep parents/caregivers up at night.

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