Rupp: Senate Bill 134 Will Help Protect Parents with Disabilities

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, I was proud to introduce Senate Bill 134 to the General Assembly to address the subject of parental rights of parents with disabilities. The act would protect these parents and their children, and would clarify that just because a parent or both parents have special needs, does not mean they are unfit caregivers.

Part of my inspiration to file this measure came from a blind couple in Independence that became parents to a beautiful baby girl named Mikeala in May 2010. Both mother and father were overjoyed to become parents and were eager to take their new baby home. While at the hospital, however, Mikeala’s mother had some trouble breast feeding, and because of this minor issue, social services was called to take the baby away. It was claimed that the parents were unfit and couldn’t care for the infant. This course of action was completely unjust and the parents were discriminated against because of their disability. Both parents were devastated, and their child was in the custody of social services for 57 days. The couple is now preparing to file a lawsuit asserting that their parental rights were violated because of their blindness, with the hope that this type of action never happens again to a family. I’m glad to hear that baby Mikeala is now home and doing well, and I wish the very best to the family.

With this couple’s story in my mind, I am very determined to see Senate Bill 134 pass through the Legislature and receive the governor’s signature. I believe a child deserves to be with his or her family, and it makes no difference if that child’s parent cannot see or hear, or if that parent has other disabilities. In most cases, a disability does not affect a person’s parenting capabilities, and in this legislation, assistive services would only be called to assist parents if needed. The bottom line is that a child would always remain with his or her parents.

In Mikeala’s parents’ case, they are completely capable for caring for their child, and their care-giving abilities are not compromised because of blindness. According to a statistic by ABC News, more than one million U.S. citizens are blind, many of whom are parents. These remarkable people simply practice some different methods of parenting, including using tools that produce sound, such as “talking” thermometers. I admire these parents for their courage and strength for overcoming challenges, and I am sure they are better parents because they bravely conquer these obstacles.

I believe that Senate Bill 134 would benefit and protect parents with disabilities, and I know families in Missouri will have a brighter and more secure future with this legislation enacted.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this issue or any other matter within state government, please visit my website at www.senate.mo.gov/rupp. Here, you can also subscribe to my RSS feed on the main page of my website; it will keep you up to date on all my columns, press releases, and multimedia postings. Always feel free to e-mail me or call my office toll-free at (866) 271-2844.