This photo was taken out of the Vancouver Province; Friday June 14, 2013"When Anne Belanger received her son’s grade two class photo last month, she immediately stuffed the image back into its envelope in disgust.
In the photo, the students and teacher line up neatly in three rows. But one student is missing from the group.
There, in the far right edge, her son Miles Ambridge sits in his wheelchair, separated from the rest of his classmates by an empty space on a bench. Despite the obvious gap, the seven-year-old beams for the camera, craning as far to the side as his tiny body will allow to be closer to his friends.
While she can hardly stand to look at the photo, Belanger is overcome with anger and sadness when she does."
The dishonor this young man must have been feeling, to be singled out from his class mates.
Solutions are quite simple when added to equation, instead of having this young man, in large part "out of the picture", have the benches parted a little more or have the teacher seated so that he could have been included, properly supported in his wheelchair.
For anyone using a supportive ad of any kind, inclusiveness so be the order of the day....This boy shed "real" tears for a "real" desire; to be included and not ostracized!
I applaud the courage of this young man and his family...as I know there are many a family with a disabled child who cry out for change but are never heard!
Will this bring change? I'd like to hope so, but...society as we know it a hard nut to crack, because we are all a part!
Let us put compassion, inclusion on the other foot; what would your reaction be if you were this little boy who is clearly full of life?Let's not take away the joy of childhood, when it clear that so much has been taken away already!
I know for my child, Emily; thankfully she is not confined to a wheelchair, but in say so, there is a lot that in future years in going to be out of her reach.....but....let them TRY!
But remember who they are; built with drive and passion
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