Why We Fight

I don’t think of myself as a hero. Some people call me that, but it always makes me a little uncomfortable (though flattered). In my mind, I’m just a father who loves his daughter. Caitlin is an amazing little girl, and I just want her to be the best Caitlin possible. That’s a parent’s job.

Today, Caitlin had a good day at school. She was able to start using her Dynavox 4 to communicate. She also was able to go to the playground at recess and laugh and play on the swings. This is only what she deserves. Neither was easy to obtain, especially the swing.

When Caitlin started at her elementary school two years ago, she was one of many special pre-schoolers going there. The playground was completely inaccessible. Even though it was built during the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it was not remotely up to code. There was a dirt “ramp” leading from the blacktop to the playground and then 8-inch barrier that had to be hurdled to enter the playground itself. There was also no equipment for children with disabilities. I brought my concerns up at Caitlin’s first IEP meeting only to find out that there was nothing that the school could do to change the situation because the playground was actually owned by the park district.

This started my two-year trek to rectify the situation. I brought this up to her educational advocate, and she convinced me that I should talk to the City of DeKalb Advisory Commission on Disabilities (I am now a member). They agreed that it was a problem, and that put into motion numerous meetings with the park district. They came to our meetings, and we went to them. I also had meetings with the park district at the school. It took months of agitation before some promises were finally made. It then took months more of agitation before those promises were kept.

As of a couple of weeks ago, there is now a sidewalk connecting the school blacktop to the playground surface. There are also now two high-backed swings. My daughter is able to truly enjoy recess with her friends for the first time. More importantly, this will be there for all of the other current and future children with disabilities who just want to go and enjoy a playground with their friends and families.

This is why I keep fighting. It’s just the right thing to do, and my daughter’s laughter is all of the validation that I need.