Life on the Bridge: What About Us?
Author: Kathleen M. Cleaver
Published: 2025/02/03 - Updated: 2026/01/21
Publication Type: Literature / Review
Category Topic: Publications - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This review examines a critical gap in disability support systems, revealing how educational and institutional reforms have inadvertently created inequities for individuals with more severe conditions. Written by an educator with three decades of experience and specialized credentials in special education and visual impairment services, the analysis draws from Kaelynn Partlow's professional perspective as an autistic therapist, establishing credibility through both lived experience and clinical expertise. The research is particularly valuable for policymakers, educators, families of disabled individuals, and disability advocates seeking to understand why funding and program development disproportionately benefit those with mild-to-moderate disabilities while creating service deserts for those with greater support needs - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
What About Us?
I recently read the book, Life on the Bridge, by Kaelynn Partlow. Kaelynn, diagnosed with autism at the age of ten, writes about her experiences of growing up with autism and her work as a therapist for children and adults with autism. One paragraph in her book hits hard in my experiences as a mother, teacher and sibling living in the world of disability.
Main Content
"Autism is a really broad spectrum with many variances, many rates of progress, many differing needs. Decades ago, a common misconception was that all autism was a matter of being extremely affected, unable to communicate, often institutionalized... and onward the stereotypes would go. However, in our modern autism community, the most vulnerable now have the least representation." - Kaelynn Partlow.
Kaelynn's statement about autism rings true for all disabilities. We are reframing our education practices to accommodate Neurodiverse students who show progress in an academic setting while disparaging the special classes and programs for children with severe disabilities. Colleges are opening learning support programs for students with mild to moderate disabilities while the more severe students face the end to most of their services once they age out of the school program and long waiting lists for admission to a quality adult day program due to the lack of funding. It is time that we have a continuum of high quality programs for children and adults nor matter the severity of their disability!
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The systemic invisibility of severely disabled individuals in modern disability advocacy represents a blind spot that demands urgent attention - one that policymakers and program designers cannot ethically ignore. When resource allocation and policy innovation consistently flow toward populations that show traditional academic or vocational progress, the most vulnerable members of our disability community are left stranded without adequate services or adult day programs. The authors and advocates raising this concern aren't arguing against progress for any population; rather, they're calling for what should be self-evident: equitable, high-quality support across the full spectrum of disability, because human dignity and access to meaningful services should never depend on severity of diagnosis or economic viability of a program - Disabled World (DW).
Author Credentials: Kathleen M. Cleaver holds a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and the education of children whose primary disability is a visual impairment (TVI). During her thirty-year career as a teacher, Kathleen received the Penn-Del AER Elinor Long Award and the AER Membership Award for her service and contributions to the education of children with visual impairments. She also received the Elizabeth Nolan O’Donnell Achievement Award for years of dedicated service to St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments. Explore Kathleen's complete biography for comprehensive insights into her background, expertise, and accomplishments.