Special needs mom Laura Rosen Cohen: The pandemic is destroying lives of disabled children

• By Tamara Ugolini

PETITION: Let Our Kids Go Back To Class

Ontario students who suffered from the devastating effects of school closures due to government-mandated COVID restrictions will be locked out of their classrooms again as the education workers' union announces a strike. If you agree that kids must remain in the classroom, sign this petition.

9,692 signatures
Goal: 12,000 Signatures

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One-sided COVID policies are negatively affecting families, namely children, and vulnerable at risk individuals.

Be it mask mandates, anti-social behaviour, confusing rules and regulations, all in the name of sterile fascism, those with disabilities — be it, emotional, physical, cognitive or otherwise — bear the weight of these policies.

In December 2021, Toronto-based writer and special needs advocate Laura Rosen Cohen (follow @LauraRosenCohen on Twitter) wrote this opinion piece titled “The Pandemic is destroying the Lives of Disabled Children like Mine”.

Not only is she the parent of a severely disabled, non-verbal child, but she has seen first hand the devastating affects that indiscriminate policies have on those with disabilities. Their needs, health and safety is being disregarded in the name of all things pandemic pandemonium.

Laura recalls how sterility replaced the home-like, upbeat feeling that her child was accustomed to in his classroom. In the name of cleanliness and COVID safety, her child’s beloved bean bag chair (that is a crutch relied upon for his actual health and safety) was removed from class and Laura was unsuccessful at advocating for its return; an effort she refers to as exhausting.

For a more balanced approach, Laura would like to see more common sense brought to the COVID policy table. She would like to see calm, rational doctors replace the doomsday doctors.

While it would appear that the tide is turning, as goal posts continue to shift and government fails to ease restrictions as promised, following along like good little minions is being seen less and less as virtuous and more how it should have always been: obtuse and callous.

Questioning one-size fits all approaches that disregard real human costs in wake of government and media generated hysteria is one of the most abysmal aspects of Canada’s COVID response.