Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine April 2021 | Page 72

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“ He ' s Autistic , but accept him the way he is "

Maya Pandt

Parent Advocate

Maya Pandt lives with her son , Jurgen , on the Dutch Caribbean island of St . Eustatius . Here , as in so many other places , disability is a taboo subject . People do not like talking about it , many do not understand it and it makes others feel uncomfortable . Jurgen is her only child and he is autistic .

On this small islan 3,500 people with resources in that at first very difficu diagnosis . Jurgen speaking at the a and could not sta She could not com melt-downs and to offer solutions an article one day who displayed sim