Editor’s note:
As students prepare to head back to school, we’re excited to revisit one of our favorite conversations. Children are naturally curious, and the way we answer their questions about disability can shape a lifetime of understanding, kindness, and inclusion.
This episode was originally released on July 15, 2024, during Disability Pride Month, but its message about talking to children about disabilities feels especially meaningful as a new school year begins. We hope you’ll join us for this encore presentation.
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We all are different, but is disability just another form of different?
It’s one thing for an adult to stare at me in my power wheelchair and make unintentionally insensitive comments such as, “I wish I had one of those today!” or “Do you have a driver’s license for that?”
Such comments can open the door for constructive conversations and teachable moments.
Yet how do we talk to children about people living with disabilities? About people who, in their minds, seem “different”?
The immediate reaction from their mannerly parents often is a stern, aggressively whispered phrase like, “Don’t stare! That’s not nice.”
But what if a child’s curiosity could become an opportunity for understanding? How can parents help turn these situations into teachable moments?
Join us for this episode as Dan and I have a thoughtful conversation with Erica Miedema about the best way to approach this subject with her 10-year-old son, Maximus. The three of us delve into different approaches to talking with children who are curious about people with disabilities and how to turn their questions into meaningful conversations about understanding, kindness, and inclusion.
P.S. You may remember Maximus when he was our podcast guest who interviewed us in Episode 51: From the runway to Walk MS.
Here are links to sites to help you continue this conversation:
• 10 Strategies for Talking to Kids About Disabilities
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