Jes this is such a wonderful piece, written not just with heart, but with a knowledge that most of us teachers have no knowledge of.

I have much to do.

I have much to read.

How many students have we short-changed simply because we deal with them within parameters known, and therefore familiar and easy for us?

Some years ago , and this is not quite on topic, so forgive me, a young woman came to our school. She has severe cerebral palsy.

She was hoping to start a business that would open our eyes to the wonderful real people struggling daily to live their lives in a crippled body.

I recall one of the first questions she asked my students.

"Do you think I have an intellectual disability?"

Almost all my students said yes.

She was quite upset about that, so with her permission we did some small exercises in the class.

Raise you hand.

Scratch your nose.

Snap your fingers.

I then explained that Fiona knows exactly what to do. It's just that her brain can't respond. She's trapped. And because she is trapped, people make their own assumptions.

As you might guess, the initiative got no traction because money would have had to be spent in order to support it.

But this troubled me for a long time.

For the time being, Fiona's life is better than many with CP, but her parents are ageing, and I dread to think what the future holds for her, trapped in an aged-care unit, unchallenged, dependent on a carer who, though she may try hard, is limited in what she can do.

This is a story that is replicated all over the world.

We need to try harder.

The other thing we need to do, assuming we know, is break open the amazing ways that people have channelled their thoughts and desperation through their writing.

This may well promote, not just empathy, but huge appreciation for people who are perceived as being different.

Right now, so much is being lost.