Do you think there is negativity towards being a blind or disabled patent?

Question

This can apply to any disability but I’m going to focus mainly on blind or low vision people.
As a legally almost completely blind mom I personally feel that theee is negativity towards me as well as other blind moms. People are just quick to assume that just because we can’t see means we can’t be good patents. I was taking with another blind mom and she told me that sometimes when there are custody battles that the other patent will use being blind as a reason why the blond patent shouldn’t get the child. 
My questions 
1 Do you think there is a legit reason why people think they people with disabilities in general cannot be good parents?
2 Do you think peopled education could help minimize the negativity?
My personal experience is when I had just had my son my moms side of the fam cams to visit and one of them made a comment to me saying that A: I cannot properly care for my child and my SO will be the one doing all the work and B: when I start college in August how is my mother (who is also blind with 4 other kids) going to help with the baby.

Answer

Good question. 
No. There’s no reason a disability should prevent someone from being a good parent, although they may need some extra support. 
Yes. I think education is always beneficial. 
For a personal experience aspect, my father was 100% Deaf. It didn’t negatively impact me in any way.

Answer

I’m sure some people out there are just plain rude and nasty about a disabled parent. I personally don’t see why they can’t be excellent parents. We all have our own challenges as parents and we all find ways to cope.
I personally have a son that has a very serious illness. My husband and I had to move mountains and rearrange so much of our lives to accommodate for his illness. But we managed. I could see how a blind person may have difficulty caring for a child like my son as many of the things we watch for to indicate he’s not doing well are visual signs. But, I also know that many people think one parent should be his full time carer and not have a nanny and think we’re bad parents because we both work full time. But we found ways to make that work so that our son gets the best care possible. I don’t see how a blind person wouldn’t find another way to care for their child just as well as I could (I know it’s not a great comparison but it’s the best I could think of with my sleep deprived brain). 
Parents make it work no matter what. And you can over come any kind of difficulty. Disabled parents can be just as good and if not better than a fully able-bodied parent. You just rely on other senses or different skill sets to care for your child and you probably also have a lot of experiences and wisdom that others will never have that you can pass on. If you let a disability be a disability that could hold you back from being a good parent, but from my experience most people with any kind of disability help it make them better people.

Answer

There is definitely negativity surrounding people who are disabled being parents. I see it all the time in my group. People absolutely oppose people with down syndrome being parents. With my little experience with the deaf community, I've also seen people oppose people who are deaf becoming parents. They want to change them by giving them implants or other devices and therapies for them to be considered good parents.
It takes a lot of education and sometimes added experience for people to understand. Education is always the first step to get rid of stigma and negativity with any topic. Everyone has the ability to become a good parent. It takes effort, strength, patience, support, education, love, and willingness to do so regardless of someone being typical or atypical. I'd never keep my oldest from being a parent if he so chooses 18+. I could never imagine being that controlling. It might be hard, yes. It might be exhausting, but getting through this first year of his life has been challenging, exhausting, stressful, etc. If we could get through this, we can get through anything. And even with the negative, I've gained a lot of positive. I've experienced love like never before. Strength as I've never known it. Patience, knowledge, passion, etc. I couldn't imagine keeping my child from that experience if he so chose.

Answer

No, I don’t think there is a legit reason. There might be obstacles to overcome, but that even goes for able-bodied parents. You can be a good parent. As long as the kids are taken care of and their needs are being met, that’s all that matters.
Yes, I think general awareness would help. Most people don’t understand disability is a spectrum.

Answer

My husband uses a wheelchair and has been very vocal and visible in our society about what it’s like. He was repeatedly denied assistance since his needs as a father were dismissed as being less important than those of a mother. 
We get lots of smiles when we go out together since our toddler son likes to ride in his lap. We have never had questions of doubt about his ability but we know that not many people see disabled parents out and about. 
I think it’s awesome as long as it’s not undue stress on the child (ie it’s not expected that they’ll miss out on their own childhood in order to pick up all the slack at home). We are hoping it will help our children be more accepting of different types of people and see that strength isn’t always about what you can do physically. My husband has the most amazing strength of character, something which I admire every day.

Answer

1)none that I can think of. Whether the disability exists before becoming a parent or develops after, people can adapt and function fully & independently (I’m guessing for most cases, anyway). Especially with the technology available today, people may be able to better manage their disability. 
2)I think education could help. I think people who have little knowledge on a specific disability or condition may be afraid to approach a person with said disability or condition, because they’re unsure if they need to behave differently around that person or they’re unsure or how that person may behave differently. People tend to be afraid of the unknown. 
I’m not sure how long you’ve been legally blind, but definitely research what services are available to you in your area (if you haven’t). For example, where I live there’s an Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired and they offer a lot of free services, have technology available to their clients, have support groups, etc. I used to work at an ophthalmologist office and met many legally blind people and they can live “normal” lives just like the rest of us. I’m sorry there are people doubting your ability to parent, but you know you can do it. And your mom has already done it 4 times! So obviously she can lol they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Answer

Honestly, when I read your story or hear of other mothers/fathers who are disabled in any way and continue to provide the best possible life for their children, the last thing I think is that they are a “bad parent”. Maybe it’s because I worked in childcare and have met so many different types of parents and children, but I personally don’t see a disability  as a characteristic of being a “bad” parent. 
Parents who can’t take care of their children are those who neglect their kid’s basic needs and refuse to respect/acknowledge their desires; not parents who have physical obstacles and choose to overcome them every day to support and nurture their children.
The idea that someone would insinuate that you are by default a worse parent than those without a disability is so horrible and I am so sorry you had to hear those lies. 
If you are taking care of your child to the best of your ability and their needs are met (ie, they are emotionally and physically healthy), then that is all anyone can ask of someone. Parenting is hard af and i have total respect for people who can navigate the life of a parent! ❤️

Answer

I think there are some cases in which a disability may effect one’s ability to parent, but I also think that more often than not these challenges can be overcome with the appropriate support. 
I definitely would not consider being blind or having low vision to be indicative of being a bad parent or unable to care for a child. My sister is almost completely blind and she does a ton and could certainty care for a child. As I know anyone who lives with a disability is well aware, you adapt—you find ways to get around, go to school, hold a job, have relationships, travel, maintain a home, ect. There’s no reason to think one would not adapt to parenthood. 
Sorry you had to deal with this attitude. Don’t listen to them. I’m certain you are doing great!

Answer

Wow, I've never met a blind mum so have never even considered this. I'm so sorry your ability to parent is unfairly judged on something like this.
I absolutely don't think a disability has to affect one's ability to be a good parent. I guess part of being a good parent with a disability, would be in knowing when one may need a little support. Some parents may need no support and others may need a lot, but in either situation, they can be amazing parents. 
I remember seeing a mother once, actually, whose speech was very affected and she couldn't really communicate. But she disciplined her two young children before my very eyes, using sounds that her children obviously recognised. It was amazing. She seemed like an outstanding parent to me! Imagine not being able to communicate with your child? Wow. 
People definitely would benefit from being educated on matters such as these.

Answer

One of my best friends dad is blind and he was a wonderful father. He is also one of the most sought after psychologists in his state. People figure since he can’t see them there are no judgments based on how they look.

Do you think there is negativity towards being a blind or disabled patent?

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