Sonia Sotomayor Would Be First Supreme Court Justice With Type 1 Diabetes

If confirmed, Sonia Sotomayor will not only be the first Hispanic to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court; she'll be the first justice with Type 1 diabetes. As parents of children with special needs, we can celebrate the message that kids with disabilities can grow up to do anything -- while lamenting the doubt and misinformation that often comes along the way.

In a New York Daily News interview, Sotomayor explained how diabetes shaped her career goals: "As a child, Sotomayor became enamored with Nancy Drew stories and wanted to be an investigative detective like the female heroine of those popular childhood mystery books. At age 8, she was diagnosed with diabetes and was told detective work wasn't in the cards. 'I became very disappointed about not having a life plan ... At the time, Perry Mason had become a very popular show, and I loved Perry Mason. If I couldn't do detective work as a police officer, I could do it as a lawyer.'"

Now, there are those who would question her ability to do that, at least at the top tier of U.S. law. Before her nomination, there were questions about whether her diagnosis -- and complications like the ones outlined by Gary Gilles on About.com Type 1 Diabetes -- should factor into her selection. Those questions are not going away. As word of Sotomayor's nomination hit the news yesterday, a Time article questioned whether her diabetes would be a handicap, declaring that "The nominee's chronic condition is worth noting, since it puts her at increased risk of several serious medical conditions, including heart disease, kidney problems, blindness and nerve damage — and an increased risk of early death." A Newsweek blog post counters that, "There are too many variables in medicine, government, and everyday life to make a hiring decision like this based on a two-decades long 'what if' -- though unfortunately, when it comes to diabetes, a lot of employers often do."

While some worry about how the nominee's diagnosis may limit her time on the bench, others are excited over the perspective it may lend to her decisions. Andrew J. Imparato, President and CEO of the American Association of People With Disabilities, issued a statement of cautious optimism: "Based on our preliminary analysis of Judge Sotomayor’s extensive record on the bench, we are encouraged that she may be the champion we have been looking for. Her jurisprudence in the disability area shows that she has a good understanding of the real-life implications of her decisions, and sees the important connections between disability rights laws and other civil rights laws. Her personal experience as a woman with childhood-onset insulin-dependent diabetes gives her additional insights that can inform her approach to disability issues."

Share your thoughts on Sotomayor's nomination and the discussion of her diagnosis in the comments, and check the Today's News folder regularly for updates.

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