2007 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 57-75
This paper aims to reexamine the activities of the Association of Parents of Children with Congenital Limb Defects in order to explore the manner in which the assertions of parents have changed.
The Association of Parents of Children with Congenital Limb Defects was established in 1975. This was a time when attention was being focused on the various problems involving environmental pollutants; it also marked the beginning of movements towards determining the cause of disabilities in children. Parents perceived themselves as victims, and while urging the Ministry of Health and Welfare and other government agencies to identify and eliminate teratogenic substances, they also held symposiums, photo exhibits and other activities to educate society and prevent their recurrence. These movements that aimed at determining the cause of the disabilities in children had the effect of releasing parents from their burden by confirming that the disabilities in their children were not the result of familial or genetic factors, and hence, they were not responsible for these defects.
Beginning in the 1980s, however, appeals to determine the cause of birth defects by the association began to diminish. In particular, the manifestation of the sense of incongruity with activities to determine the cause of birth defects and the assertion that having a disability does not necessarily prevent a disabled person from leading a prosperous and fulfilling life resulted in a fundamental transformation in the nature of these movements. Subsequently, parents noticed differences in the relationships that they shared with their children, and the association began to carry out movements that emphasized the daily life of parents and children. Events such as symposiums and vibrant photo exhibits of children with disabilities suggest that "they are as happy as ordinary families."
This paper attempts to clarify the differences in the nature of these movements during the 1970s and 1980s by examining their execution.
