Disability and Employment

When we made our 3rd trip to the Netherlands in 2013, we brought my daughter K with us. A scenic walk down the Oudegracht (Old Canal) in Utrecht led us to this lovely cafe and store featuring hand crafted items. We decided to stop in for a traditional Dutch afternoon treat – coffee and appeltaart (apple … Continue reading Disability and Employment

Kinderbeestfeest (Kid’s Animal Party) at Artis Zoo

The city was blazing with sirens on Friday. It was the annual Kinderbeestfeest, an event for around 1,400 chronically ill and disabled children, their siblings and parents. The festival kicks off with rides through the city provided by the police, fire department, ambulance service, Navy, Netherlands customs, Koninklijke Marechausse (Royal Military Police), the Red Cross, … Continue reading Kinderbeestfeest (Kid’s Animal Party) at Artis Zoo

Look Toward or Turn Away

When we arrived in the Netherlands almost 3 years ago, I was immediately taken aback when people spoke directly to my son, B. when we were out in public.  Almost no one assumed that just because he had a disability he couldn’t speak for himself.  There was no detectable nervousness or hesitation to deal directly with him. He … Continue reading Look Toward or Turn Away