""I never know how the kids are going to react with her walker," Cook said. "Some kids will run off with [it], or they just stare at her." On this particular outing, things were going well. Cook's daughter was going from one piece of equipment to another, having a nice time. After a few minutes, a boy approached and asked, "what's wrong with her?" "I froze," Cook recalled. "I wasn't sure how to explain her disability to an adult, let alone a child.""
""He was pushing her on the swing, and then he started to even pick up on the sign language I was using to ask her if she wanted to 'keep swinging' or to '[be] done.' Soon, the boy had convinced his friends to come over and join. 'He started telling them about her disability and what she could do, not what she couldn't do,' Cook said, laughing. 'He was like a proud little mom.' Before she knew it, the whole park was cheering Cook's daughter along. Seemingly everyone there picked up on the sign language and helped her navigate the playground equipment.""
Natalie Cook brought her 2-year-old foster daughter, born prematurely and using a walker, to a park. Other children sometimes react by running off with the walker or staring. A boy initially asked what was wrong; after learning the child needed time to catch up he returned and began pushing her on the swing. The boy learned and used sign language, encouraged friends to include her, and described what she could do. Park visitors cheered and assisted with sign language and equipment navigation, creating an inclusive, supportive environment that filled Cook with joy.
Read at www.npr.org
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