Even though Christopher has been his children’s primary caregiver their whole life, a judge allegedly decided he was not fit to care for his children because he is blind. YouTube image.
Excerpts:
The right of the natural parent to the care and custody of his or her child is considered a fundamental right in the United States. In spite of that, a New York Kings County Supreme Judge in Brooklyn has slammed the door on an American father’s right to parent is own children – solely it seems because he is blind. The judge, in this case, would insert “able” and in particular “sighted” in front of “natural parent.” “No vision, no children” sums up the Court’s decision, upturning decades of civil rights progress and common sense.
Despite Christopher G. Roberts serving as his son and daughter’s primary caretaker, when he found himself in front of Justice Eric I. Prus, the judge informed him that because the children were young (then 3 and 2), and Mr. Roberts was blind – the judge was concerned about the children being “protected from any hazard.” The judge told Mr. Roberts that it was important for “someone to be there” asserting that Mr. Roberts was less than a full person, not quite a “someone” in the judge’s eyes.
Image from YouTube.
Remarkably, the judge conditioned Mr. Robert’s time with his children be supervised by a sighted nanny who Mr. Roberts was to hire at his own expense. Even though Mr. Roberts was once a primary caretaker, the judge chose to allow him a scant seventeen (17) hours of time with his children – and then with each second “supervised.” Such is the horror that unfolded on May 9th, 2014.
Mr. Robert’s children were both well cared-for, gifted, living in Park Slope attending private pre-school – a lifestyle provided for by their blind father. Nonetheless, the judge ordered “family intervention” sending social services to the home – they found nothing – and ordered all of the children’s time with their father be “supervised” by a sighted nanny. Had Mr. Roberts been unable to pay for a sighted nanny he would have been unable to see his children – the children he had been raising – at all.
Image from YouTube.
Somehow the fact that tens of thousands of blind parents raise their children every day without “sighted supervision” was lost to the judge.
About Christopher G. Roberts
Image from SteppingStone Theatre Company. Christopher is the Founder and Director.
Christopher G. Roberts has over 23 years of experience in professional theatre. He is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Steppingstone Theatre Company (SSTC), a not-for-profit arts organization. He has an MFA degree in acting from Brooklyn College and a BA degree in theater from the University at Buffalo.
As an actor, he has appeared on television in shows such as “OZ,” “Sex in the City,” “What Would You Do,” in national network commercials, as well as on several daytime dramas. In addition, his regional and international credits include Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey, Exile Theater in Northern Ireland and The Manhattan Theater Club.
Read the Full Article at BlackNews.com.
Watch this video of Christoper interacting with his two children.
Interview with Christopher G. Roberts with The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts:
Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children
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