Identifying as a member of a cultural group has important psychological benefits for people with disabilities of all ages. More parents are making the shift from seeing their child’s disability from the medical model (which focuses only on physical impairments and barriers) to the social model of disability (which recognizes that attitudes and acts of discrimination are the real culprits blocking their child’s full participation in society).

Embracing this new way of thinking can lead to a harsh encounter with reality on the depth of oppression that still exists for this newest generation. The perfect anecdote for this shared feeling of hopelessness from parents is an exploration of the meaning of disability culture.

While disability culture includes an unmatched understanding of discrimination based on abilities, it surpasses the boundaries of just a unified experience of oppression. Increasingly, people with disabilities are developing their own forms of art, communication, symbols, and events that celebrate our rich history and promising future. Learning about the past of people with disabilities is one important part of understanding our identities as individuals in a group.

Recognizing the present and future of people with disabilities also provides the unique opportunity to learn through living and enjoy the examples of leadership provided by others. Lessons like maintaining a sense of humor and resilience in the face of challenges, accepting interdependence as a way of life, and being flexible and adaptable are important skills to be honed for children from every cultural background.

It’s not uncommon for parents to be the first to recognize their child’s beauty and potential. Many parents work to strengthen their offspring’s identity as an individual with a disability, but it can be uncomfortable facilitating membership to a culture to which they don’t personally belong. This is a unique challenge, but it can be spun into even greater rewards for the entire family by embracing disability culture together.

Many new parents of children with disabilities have been comforted by the story Welcome to Holland, in which the discovery that your child will be atypical is compared to the shock of landing in a foreign country you didn’t plan for or expect. Disability culture is the positive, supportive, motivating, and empathetic, but also unexpected gift that you get upon arrival to Holland. It’s the part of disability that’s never explained with a diagnosis but will be much more helpful to one’s identity than any medical intervention.

There are several ways you can open the doors to your child and your family to learn about and enjoy the solidarity offered by disability culture.

Here are a few options to get you started or further your journey:

1. Teach age-appropriate aspects of history regarding the oppression of people with disabilities. For example, young children can learn that many older people with disabilities weren’t able to attend schools with their siblings and friends. Adolescents are better equipped to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust for people with disabilities.

2. Check on your state’s progress on including mandatory curriculum on disability culture in all public schools. Contact your child’s teacher and/or librarian to include books and learning materials that portray disabilities in a positive and accurate manner.

3. Explore these amazing resources with your family: The Disability History Museum, and the Museum of Disability.

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