Being a parent is something that many people easily take for granted, regardless of where they are. For those Coloradans who have difficulty becoming parents or staying in their children’s lives, there is a new report out that may be of interest regarding disabled parents’ rights. The report from the National Council on Disability is making national headlines as it highlights the red tape many disabled parents go through and emboldens the importance of maintaining a family unit even with the difficulty of a disability.
Many parents who are living with disabilities are able to keep a family safe and functioning, however, there have been many cases documented where such families have been met with opposition from authorities, forcing them to fight for their children. Some of the legal battles disclosed involve two blind parents and their baby, a mother with muscular dystrophy and her adopted children, and a veteran whose ex-boyfriend sought to take her son away due to her being a quadriplegic.
These cases endured lengthy legal proceedings and no doubt caused a great deal of emotional stress and perhaps even pain. One woman explains that the issue of disabled parents’ rights has dealt with a lot of generalization due to a few horrible stories in the news. When few understand the full capabilities of people living with disabilities, seeing one story go terribly wrong can be potentially disastrous to the gains being made in a community’s push for parenting rights.
Colorado parents who have found themselves dealing with something as awful as having your children taken away or the threat of it may want to contact a legal professional to learn about the laws regarding parenting and custody rights. For those who are disabled and dealing with this issue, the case may be even more out of your favor and watching if this report affects some decisions may help your case.
Source: The Associated Press, “Disabled parents face bias, loss of kids: report,” David Crary, Nov. 26, 2012