Breaking Barriers
“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart”. ~ Helen Keller
“It is my hope that my work is just one step in an ongoing effort to bring the lives of us who live with disabilities closer to the center, where a truer understanding of the richness of our lives can be forged.” ~ Kenny Fries
Imagine a world where neurodiverse children have equal attention, equal education, equal opportunities and equal rights. Imagine each classroom, starting from elementary school, having at least one child with learning differences, be it Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism or other genetic conditions. We would discover a new world of diverse thinking, learn how to adapt to diversity, how to be more patient and be kind to each other and create a new inclusive world where everyone has the tools and understanding how to support the neurodiverse population. While we would care more about each other, there would also be less discrimination, kids and later adults would feel seen, heard, valued and included. Kids of all abilities who grew up in this classroom environment would understand on a deeper level that we are all unique in our own way. Being a part of this naturally grown environment, all kids thrive and flourish to their full potential. Schools like this already exist throughout the country, but there is not enough demand to establish it on a systemic level.
Because society normalized the segregation of neurodiverse kids from that of typical kids in placing them into their own classrooms and thus having little to no interaction – leaving little chance of becoming friends and learning the tools necessary to support and experience the joy of being around them – it is difficult for all to see the world in full color.
In a series of videos, we will present interviews with children and families showing that in an increasingly competitive society, there is still a lot of room and possibility for neurodiversity. Music will include works from the “canon” of Western Art Song repurposed to tell the story of inclusion and the world premier of works with original poetry and music on inclusion and neurodiversity.
This project is for parents and educators, for it is they who must first shape a will for inclusion. If children experience classroom inclusion from day one, they will never question it. It will simply be how the world works – Neurodiverse.
A sampling of interviews that will appear in the Performance:
I dedicate this project to my amazing son Julian, my inspiration, who is embracing life with a rare genetic condition and who taught us so much about life and love.