(Don't) Stay Calm and Carry On...

"Stay Calm and Carry On" has become a famous British saying most heard (and seen) during the London Summer Olympics. In light of recent news from The "Happiest Place on Earth," I think it's time to neither Stay Calm or Carry On...rather it is time Raise Hell and Change the World!

Raising a child with any kind of disability is a challenge only known by those who experience it. You child is a joy, but no one would choose this life. Watching your child lose out on experiences that other children take for granted is painful. As parents, we want our children to live their life to the fullest. As a parent of a special needs child, what this full life looks like may be different from child to child.

Recently, the "Happiest Place on Earth," Disney has released that they will no longer be having their Guest Assistance Program, which allowed us to being our cutest boy to the exit so he can ride the few rides that are totally available to him. Since his stamina can be limited, this program made Disneyland one of the most amazing experiences for him. If there were no other chairs in line, they would also let him repeat the ride. It was amazing. His favorite, Toy Story, was one we got to ride multiple times. After three or four hours, we were able to leave the park with a smiling and happy boy.

Why, you might ask, is this program being discontinued and replaced with a far less acceptable program? The reason is gruesome...people are actually "renting" people in a wheelchair so they may receive preferred status. Who is taking advantage of the system? Really? I can confidently say it is not us or families like us.

Irony here? JetBlue, my new favorite airline, is stating a "Wings with Autism" program to make traveling with a child on the Autism spectrum easier. They recognize that traveling with a child with special needs is one that needs to be supported because mostly families DON'T travel often or ever!

What will it take for people to look outside of themselves, to recognize that we each have the human experience even though that experience may look dramatically different depending on your experience.

Maybe we need to look outside our own experience and really look at others. It's time...not to Stay Calm and Carry On, but rather Raise Hell and Change the World!