LibraryScenariosWhen society mourns what you celebrate
Scenario

When society mourns what you celebrate

My daughter has Down syndrome and is the happiest person I know, but everyone keeps offering me sympathy like her existence is a tragedy I need to overcome.

Hypatia
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

The dissonance between lived joy and societal pity reveals how deeply embedded our assumptions about what makes a life valuable really are.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Disability & Accessibility?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.