The recent firestorm over a social media influencer's decision to abort a child with Down syndrome has reignited a painful debate—one that rarely includes the very people at its center. Collette Divitto, founder of Collettey's Cookies and a national disability advocate, is pushing back against what she calls a system that treats Americans with disabilities as second-class citizens.
Divitto, who has Down syndrome, says she was saddened but not surprised by the controversy. “Once again, I watched thousands of people argue about Down syndrome without hearing from people who actually have it,” she said. “I am tired of being talked about instead of being listened to.”
For decades, Divitto argues, society has sent a dangerous message that lives with Down syndrome are less valuable. She points to her own life as counter-evidence: she owns a thriving cookie business, employs others, pays taxes, and speaks nationally on inclusion and entrepreneurship. “I am not an exception,” she insists. Across the country, people with disabilities are working, starting families, and contributing to their communities—yet the policy landscape remains hostile.
Outdated Rules Trap Millions in Poverty
Divitto highlights systemic failures that keep disabled Americans dependent. “Too many people with disabilities remain trapped on waiting lists for services for years or even decades,” she said. Outdated government rules penalize saving money, getting married, or pursuing careers, forcing many into poverty. Parents are often told what their children cannot do, rather than shown what is possible.
The public conversation, she says, “begins and ends with limitations rather than potential.” That's why the recent controversy should prompt a bigger question: “Why are so many Americans still being told that disability means a life without opportunity?”
A Call for Systemic Overhaul
Divitto is backing the Campaign to Fix the Disability System, a national effort led by Able Americans and disabled advocates. The campaign seeks to modernize policies that have “kept millions of Americans trapped in dependence instead of empowering them toward independence.” Key demands include promoting work, savings, homeownership, entrepreneurship, and community living, along with portable disability services and an end to benefit cliffs that force impossible choices.
“The problem is not people with disabilities,” Divitto asserts. “The problem is a system that has failed to provide the supports, opportunities, and pathways to independence that people deserve.” She insists that disabled Americans must have a seat at the table when decisions affecting their lives are made.
As political debates over disability policy continue—with some progressive candidates like Abdul El-Sayed gaining union backing in Michigan primaries—Divitto's message is clear: “I am not a diagnosis. I am not a burden. I am not a tragedy. I am an American, a business owner, and a woman with Down syndrome, and my life has value.” She calls on the nation to build a disability system that reflects that truth.
