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Editor's Note: Under Title II of the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Colorado’s HB18-1104, parents and prospective parents with disabilities have the right not to be discriminated against in any child welfare, adoption, foster care, guardianship, or family law proceeding. Disability alone cannot be a basis to deny or restrict custody, parenting time, or placement - U.S. Dept. of Justice
Also See: https://nfb.org/our-community/blind-parents
After welcoming their first baby together, Blind couple Hareem and Jonesti were met with judgment—“people say it’s wrong”—and criticism about their suitability as parents after the separate attacks that left them each Blind.
They met at a training centre, fell in love, and last year learned they were expecting their first child together; Hareem already had a daughter, A’lonni, from a previous relationship, and relatives and friends “made their feelings known,” asking, “How are you going to take care of this baby?”
When baby Anthony arrived, “some tasks such as nappy changing proved tricky at first”; “it wasn’t long at all” before they “adapted to their own ways of getting things done” as Blind People and were caring for him “with complete independence.” As Hareem said, It is different being blind—but we just find a different way to do things.
Online, they fielded “Are you sure you should be raising kids?” and “How do you know if the baby is safe?”, with some trolls even claiming they are pretending to be Blind; supporters countered, “All I see is two parents and a clean, organised house with too well-taken care of beautiful children,” and “Good for them!! They are some strong beautiful people!!! … I pray they and their family continue to stay strong.” Jonesti added, “I’m not going to be comfortable with being blind until we can live how we want to live and be the parents that we want to be. So far it’s turning out pretty good!”
Read the Full Article: We were attacked and left blind - now we’re parents but people say it’s wrong.
By: Julia Banim
