The innate need to reproduce and continue the existence of a species is a biological mandate human beings share with other living organisms. The ability to give birth and raise a new being is a very indulging and world-changing task. The physical and mental state of a parent only tells half the story when it comes to child-raising. Cypher, in her article, is trying to understand how disabled parents are perceived in society and how they perceive themselves as individuals responsible for the upbringing of a wholly dependent person. The agreed-upon conclusion inferred in Cypher's article dictates that disabled or not, parenting is a commonality shared by all with all its responsibilities and requirements that have to be met. The perspective of having the disability of the parents overshadow the actual parenting of the child creates an imbalanced image on the cultural perceptions involved in childbirth and upbringing. Cypher further discusses three themes using researched articles on the vindictive nature of a child having a disabled parent(s). Disabled parents depending on their impairment become needy and selfish when the children end up taking care of them, Cypher uses many articles to show how disabled parents become the responsibility of their children when instead the roles should be reversed.
Children become caregivers to disabled parents, and this neediness affects the growth of a child. Cypher discusses the selfish and self-centered theme on the issues of disability and parenting on the genetic manifestation that children could inherit the disability. Several articles reveal that parents with disabilities are not focused on the genetic implication their disability might have on their children. The need to reproduce and have a family supersedes the concern that the offspring might suffer the same disability. Many doctors and psychologists, as described by Cypher, find this baffling and selfish how under medical and psychiatric advice, disabled parents still yearn for children.
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Cypher also addresses a third theme which is considered positive when it comes to disability and parenting. To surmount the difficulty impairments come with and perform routine tasks and become independent enough to raise children similar to what fully-abled parents do is remarkable and what Cypher terms as extraordinary. To understand this entirely, the definition and perception of disability a need to be understood from a medical and psychological standpoint and not from cultural and societal parameters. The rarity in the representation of disabilities from a scientific view rendered many people engaging in a misdirected but popular discourse which defines disabled people to be weak, limited and suffering in their daily endeavors. This is, however, not the case since most disabled people can perform most tasks well on their own or even with the aid of equipment such as wheelchairs and hearing aid.
Hence, disabilities should be defined on a medical level, not on a performance basis, as Cypher explains. Disabled people who can perform most routine tasks independently become extraordinary individuals in society. Tentatively, parenting being an involving ask, disable parents become superheroes in the eyes of the community. Cypher's conclusion uses two articles that offer no exaggeration, chastisement, fearful indictments of emotional or physical neglect. She advocates for a focus on the parenting of children to the utmost priority since with or without disability parenting has similar concerns and responsibilities. It is the method of dealing and managing these tasks that will vary based on the physical and mental capabilities or lack thereof with parents.
References
Cypher, J. (2008). Disability and Parenting: Representations of Consequence. Health, Disability and Family , pp 355-361.
