Theodore Roosevelt said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” The 26th president of the
United States, who was also the youngest, sure was onto something…
If you’ve taken on this mantra as a parent, or just hoping your child with a different-ability can do
the same someday; you are not alone. You are more than halfway there.
In the more than 100 years since Roosevelt passed, our society has made many strides in
making life better for those living with disabilities, or different-abilities. Sadly, this improvement
has only come in the last couple of decades. Did you know it was only 23 years ago that things
really started changing with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990? Until then, wheelchair
ramps were not even required in public buildings, among so many other disgraces. It took
people who care and people who believed they could make a difference to make true change
happen.
Just as it’s important to believe in yourself, it’s imperative that others believe in you, too!
Whether you’re the tired parent or the frustrated child with a different-ability, it’s necessary for
you to have a support system who believes in you, too. It’s important you know that your
circumstances do not define your purpose or opportunities to succeed.
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of
overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeves
Superman himself experienced overwhelming obstacles on-screen, but more tragically
offscreen, as the actor, Christopher Reeves who played Superman became paralyzed in
adulthood after a tragic horseback riding accident. In his years that followed the accident,
Reeves could have given up, but he became a light and shining example of finding the strength
to persevere in spite of any obstacle life throws at you.
Like Superman, children with dyslexia are heroes, too. They wear their invisible capes that help
them fly high with confidence and character as they uncover how super and powerful their
abilities really are.
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