CW: Ableism & Eugenics
When Fatima Muhammad is out with her son Alameen, who has Down syndrome, she has to endure stares, whispers, and rude comments. She says Alameen’s biggest challenge is not his Down syndrome − it is the way society interacts with him. Disability is not viewed with compassion and acceptance, and Fatima and Alameen are unfortunately reminded that people associate disability with fear, pity, and avoidance.
Though their story is personal, it is similar to the reality of many other families with disabled children. In Nigeria, many other families struggle to raise their disabled children due to the difficulty of accessing adequate healthcare and education due to stigma and discrimination. Parents of disabled children are forced to advocate for their children’s basic rights. Ableism often creates the greatest barriers for children.
It is easy to think that the discrimination shown toward disabled people and their families shown in this story is only found in other countries. However, the United States has a history of the enforcement of Ugly Laws, which were laws that made it illegal for people with visible disabilities and differences to appear in public. Rather than increase the accessibility in public spaces, society chose to hide disabled people from public view. Much of European history is the same, with disabled people living in institutions rather than attending their local schools and living in their communities.
One of the most egregious examples of these beliefs took place during World War II. Nazi Germany had an Aktion T4 program. Over 70,000 disabled children and adults were systematically murdered because they were deemed “unworthy of life. Historians believe the actual death toll was even larger. Although the world has condemned these atrocities, Aktion T4 is a chilling and tragic reminder of what can happen when disabled people are viewed as less valuable than nondisabled people.
The fight for disability rights has come a long way over the last few decades, but it’s far from over. In the United States, disability advocates are concerned that cuts to Medicaid’s home and community-based services and the reduction in support for independent living services will increase the likelihood of institutionalization for disabled people. These issues are still being debated in politics, but they point out the precariousness of progress when the support systems are undermined.
What stands out most is the resilience of families who refuse to let prejudice define their children’s lives. In Nigeria, Safiya Atta Mansoor transformed her family’s experience into action by creating the GlowingStar Empowerment Initiative, providing therapy, education, and support for families who often feel isolated. Her work proves that meaningful change often begins with ordinary people determined to make their communities more inclusive.
Fatima’s story is about far more than one family in Nigeria. It reminds us that every society must decide whether to keep barriers in place or remove them. The fight for disability rights is global, and history shows what is at stake when ableism is allowed to flourish. Every person deserves to live with dignity and have the chance to belong.
Sources:
Lynch, Sarah N. “States Aren’t Required to Provide Community-Based Care for People with Disabilities, New DOJ Opinion Claims.” CBS News, 18 June 2026, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-disability-opinion-community-care/.
Remington, Alexander M. “Life Unworthy of Life”: Aktion T4: The First Nazi Genocide. Student Publications, no. 1063, Gettysburg College, Spring 2023, https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/1063/.
Schweik, Susan M. The Ugly Laws: Disability in Public. NYU Press, 2009.
Solomon, Ajifa. “‘When I Go Out, People Throw Jabs at Us’: The Nigerian Families Fighting for Their Disabled Children.” The Guardian, 16 July 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/16/when-i-go-out-people-throw-jabs-at-us-the-nigerian-families-fighting-for-their-disabled-children.