Exception to the rules?

I recently read a news story about a 19 year old boy that won't be allowed to play basketball with his team this year.  In Michigan they have a rule that anyone that turns 19 before September 1st is ineligible to play.  This particular boy has Downs syndrome and was held back in kindergarten, so he is now 19.  His parents are trying to get them to make an exception for students with special needs. 

The story itself is not what catches my attention, what really made me stop and do a double take was the comments after the story.  They were mostly negative against the boy and his and his family.  I don't know why but I was really surprised by that.  I guess I thought it was human nature to look at people with special needs in a kinder light.  To give them more of a pass than you would a "normal" kid.

One person even said that if they do make an exception for this boy, the athletic board would be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Wow!  I can see where that case can be made but is it correct?  This person’s argument was, the whole point of tAwDA is for everyone to be treated with equality, and if they made an exception, well that wouldn’t be equal now would it.  I see their point.

However, I completely disagree.  People with special needs, sometimes are just that, people with Special needs.    The point of tAwDA, as I see it, is to make sure people are allowed to live as full a life as possible given the challenges they already face.   It is there to make sure someone of sound mind cannot be turned away from a job just because they are in a wheelchair.  It is there to make sure a blind person is allowed to bring their service animal is permitted inside a restaurant.  It is not there to be used against people whose mental capacity is may not be where it should be for their age.

I have a daughter with Autism, so this is something that has always bothered me- physical age limits for the disabled.   How do you explain to a child that she is too old physically for something she is the right age for mentally?   The first time I can remember this being a problem was at a company Christmas party.  Santa was to show up with gifts for all the kids under 12.  Our daughter was 12 physically but probably 7 mentally, so she had aged out of the party, but how do you explain to a 7 year old that she is the only one Santa doesn’t have a gift for. 

The tAwDA is a great thing, but it should take into account that there are some Americans with disabilities that simply can’t and shouldn’t be treated equally.  There are some people that should have concessions made for them.   Just something to think about, as you go through your day.