She loves her island, but doctors said if she wants to learn braille she has to leave her home for mainland Portugal.
This is ableism. Institutions around the world have traditionally removed disabled people from their homes and placed them in special schools and centers. While many of these centers provide great learning opportunities, we should have the choice to receive tools and training in our home communities. Governments need to invest in programs that send teachers and adaptation tools to rural areas, too.
Dalila Rodrigues chose to stay in her beloved Pico Island, running a fabulous bed & breakfast with her family. Ocean Breeze has delicious breakfasts, a gorgeous house right by the ocean, and warm, disability-inclusive hospitality (of course service dogs are welcome)! Dalila, brilliant and resourceful, finds accessibility solutions for herself as her sight changes.
All of our bodies change as we age, and we should have the choice to live in our home communities, whether that’s in the city, the suburbs, or even a remote volcanic island.