Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by lizzard 2681 days ago
So many of you see this as touching and heartwarming. From the point of view of a disabled adult, this is rather a story of a man who was isolated from his community. It sounds like he didn't have friends in offline life, or disabled friends, or connections with any political ideas of having the right to an independent life. No way to live apart from his parents and manage his own personal care assistants, no college, stuck living at home with parents who treated him like a child. Loving parents are wonderful, but parents who don't enable a disabled young person to have a life apart from their role as child and "patient", are not educated about the opportunities that we have in society or about our rights.

I'm glad he had his guild, certainly. I ask you all to question your emotional reactions to the "touching" aspect of this story. Instead, feel some solidarity, even rage, for the opportunities denied to this person. And, if you are the parent of a disabled child, please get to know some disabled adults, and get familiar with the many writers and thinkers out there so that you can educate yourself, and also, put your child in touch.

3 comments

> Instead, feel some solidarity, even rage, for the opportunities denied to this person.

By whom? His parents or the disease? we don't know enough about how his parents treated him, or how much effort they put in to supporting a full life, to suggest they denied him anything. All we do know is they deeply regret a regimented bed-time regime.

My biggest takeaway from this was that his parents refused to ever see him as anything other than a disabled child that played too many computer games.
You're right, and I'm ashamed that despite having a disability myself (visual impairment), I missed this.

By age 25, he should have had a job. His parents should have encouraged him to pursue a line of work that can be done remotely, such as programming, design, writing, or tech support. The people who came to his funeral from far away should have included his coworkers.

Considering he wasn't expected to live past 20, I think it was reasonable. Some find their meaning of life in jobs, but not all do.