A parent discovered that their child, who has severe seizures, was excluded from a play area at Ikea designed for children. This situation arose after the child had previously enjoyed visiting Ikea, and navigating his conditions has drastically altered his life. The store visit was a rare opportunity for a safe outing, leading to disappointment at the exclusion. While the parent encouraged the child to address the issue with staff, the interaction did not yield immediate results. Online resources offered some hope for future visits, but the emotional impact of discrimination lingered.
Since his severe seizures began about two years ago, he's had to change his life in significant ways. Heat, sports, just running around to play, illness and excitement have all become triggers for him.
I told him, 'This isn't OK.' He said, 'We should talk to someone.' I was proud of him.
Later, I looked online, and there was a section on the Ikea website directing caretakers of children with disabilities to start a conversation with the Ikea store manager about how the child can best have their needs accommodated in the play area.
However, that doesn't undo the pain my child felt after hearing that he wasn't welcome in that play space because of his disabilities. During the hour-long car ride home afterward, we talked a lot about discrimination.
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