Olga Suro�s daughter used to throw tantrums in the middle of grocery stores. Her daughter has a developmental disability. Latinos make up 7.3 percent of people with severe developmental disabilities, or mental retardation, in the state. They make up 15.3 percent of permanent disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries. Olga refused to hit her child to make her �behave,� like some parents who are ashamed of their children.

�Don�t be ashamed of your child,� she said. �If someone looks at them weird, explain to them.� Latino kids with disabilities are often hidden, she said, because in the Latino community, having a misbehaved child puts a black mark on the family.

This is why three concerned women held the �Developmental Disabilities: Resources for Individuals and Parents� session at the De Colores conference on Friday: to raise awareness about things that often go unspoken of people with disabilities.

Each woman shared their own struggles of ensuring their children�s rights to education and to happiness. Jenny Hatfield-Reed, of the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource at UMKC, said the principal at her son�s school was a big barrier in securing these freedoms. One example was when the principal told her that her son could not bring a recorder to class � to tape the lectures � because it infringed upon the students� right to privacy. They also told her that her son should be home-schooled and not in the school. Hatfield became a constant thorn for the principal in her fight for her son�s rights. Hatfield won her battles, but she said that there are many parents that don�t want to cause a ruckus, especially Latinos.

�A child who is born with a disability has just as much of a right to learn,� said Suro.�

Media coverage of disability issues often focuses on celebrities rather than education. The medical field also fails to put full attention on accessing these kids� needs and many kids� disabilities go undetected. In Missouri, there are 50,000 people with disabilities under the age of 18. The sooner the disability is detected, the better chance these people have at improving their development.