Still have a long way to go

A few days ago I was chatting with someone who like me has been involved in the ID/DD field for more than 20 years. We discussed how much things have changed for the better, reflecting on how naive we and society were years ago, and how now it is a good time to work in this field compared to years ago. A delightful conversation that I left feeling inspired and satisfied by how things have evolved for people with disabilities and how much we have learned as a society.
This morning as I'm doing my early morning routine of coffee and reading news from around the country, I came upon the story of Talia Williams, whose father has been convicted of murdering her and is facing the death penalty. Read the story here http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ex-soldier-convicted-5-year-old-daughter-beating-death-hawaii-base-article-1.1768240
From the first report I read I was horrified for the child because aside from the horrific death she endured, at first glance it seemed she had endured a terrible life in her short 5 years. The story stated she had been removed from her biological mother's custody 7 months prior to her death because it was found her mother contributed to her being malnourished and her stunted development. I found myself equally angry with the mother as the convicted father who murdered her. How could she starve her child?
I had to know more. After reading several articles this morning, a sad fact came to light. Talia Williams was developmentally disabled. She wasn't malnourished or neglected by her mother. She was born premature and had a failure to thrive. Even in her father's care, she attended special education, continued to have delays with continence and did not develop at the same rate as typical 5 year old children.  The very reasons that Talia's father was awarded custody of her are the reasons he murdered her.
I can't help but think what if the judge that awarded custody of Talia to her father had a better understanding of developmental delays and had left Talia in the care and custody of her mother. We have to do better with bringing awareness and education not only to parents of disabled children, but to all around us. While it is true that we have come so far, the story of Talia Williams only shows that we still have a long way to go.