Comments on: Guest Ableist Word Profile: Crutch

By: abby jean

abby jean — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:30:57 +0000

sasha – don’t forget our awesome guest posters!!

By: Sasha_feather

Sasha_feather — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:17:31 +0000

I wanted to thank everyone again for the all the awesome comments here. Forward is such an awesome blog with awesome commenters! I really appreciated the opportunity to write this article.

By: Jesse the K

Jesse the K — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:06:52 +0000

...and if we're searching for a metaphor with the negative valence that Sasha's critiquing, how about permanent scaffold. Scaffolds exist for repair or refurbishing. A permanent scaffold hides or renders pointless the thing it surrounds. .-= Jesse the K´s last blog ..With Glee! as a news hook, mainstream media acknowledges actors with disabilities =-.

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:37:01 +0000

anthea – I was never able to figure out how to ride a bike. It’s strange how much shame can be attached to that, but there it is. I liked your post on the subject.
.-= Rosemary´s last blog ..2009 Fall TV =-.

By: Sasha_feather

Sasha_feather — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:47:26 +0000

Rosemary and anthea, excellent points. Thank you! I like your idea, anthea, of “training” as being something where you work out what works for yourself and your own body, rather than going along the path that is assumed will work for everyone. What a great concept.

By: anthea

anthea — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:17:54 +0000

Great post, though as someone for whom training wheels were a temporary stage on the path to the realisation that I never would ride a bike without them, I have mixed feelings about your suggested use of that term. I've blogged about it here .-= anthea´s last blog ..Training Wheels =-.

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:11:43 +0000

I like the training wheels thing, and you know, training wheels aren’t bad things, either. So even if people who say “you’re using that as a crutch” in the negative sense switched to training wheels, they’d STILL be wrong! So there.
.-= Rosemary´s last blog ..2009 Fall TV =-.

By: Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D.

Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:06:59 +0000

". . . I can whack annoying people with it." Yes! One of the better uses of my crutches and canes since 1959. .-= Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D.´s last blog ..Disturbed patient, disturbing therapy by St. Cloud psychologist | StarTribune.com =-.

By: antarcticlust

antarcticlust — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:46:40 +0000

This is such a great post! I am an able-bodied person who used crutches for eight weeks to help a hip injury heal, and that experience was a huge Disability and Access 101 for me. So not only do crutches have positive/helpful/healing connotations, but I also remember them fondly because they opened my eyes about access privilege.

I love the idea of reclaiming the metaphor and making it positive!

By: Sasha_feather

Sasha_feather — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:22:51 +0000

Thank you for your nice comments everyone! Ang, great point about feeding tubes and machines. Often these technologies enable us, rather than disable us, and I like your point about ageism. Sometimes people think canes make a person seem old, or wheelchairs are OK for older people but not for younger ones. Often people equate illness and disability with age, when in fact a lot of younger folks have disabilities too, and some older folks do not. Your comment helped me think that through, so thanks.