My point isn’t that people with disabilities need to use different words or that currently non-disabled people need to use different words. It’s that words come with context.

Description: A white person’s right arm in a (self-described) terminator-esque arm brace. It has thick black straps supporting the upper arm, a huge dial on the elbow, and more thick straps on the lower arm Daily Access Irritations: The Moan Meme I thought I’d rant a little about the access irritations I encountered today. Today I’ll ...

The results have been declared! Image: A smiling Kelly Vincent, Dignity for Disability candidate, with a blue flower in her hair and holding a bouquet of pink roses, sits next to former leader of the Australian Democrats Natasha Stott-Despoja. South Australia State Parliament gets first disabled politician* Labor and Liberal won 4 seats each with the Greens ...

It is odd the way that The Guy and I have these conversations…or maybe it is a sign that we watch our Harry Potter movies too much, but one night while viewing HPatHBP for appoximately the nonillionth time I turned to him during the Unbreakable Vow scene at Spinner’s End, and began the following thought ...

Another short one today – the stuff in my personal life is ongoing. I’m sorry. The cost of art As I know that with Palmer’s projects and statements, there are things I might miss because I am able bodied, because I am privileged as Palmer is herself. I know that I have been made to think ...

Note: This is kind of an old post, but I think it’s still useful. I’m sure that many of you have heard variations on the following: “You’re just too angry. Your anger alienates people/potential allies and might make them afraid to associate with you! They won’t want to be on your side because of your anger.” This statement, ...

I was so pleased when s.e. brought Carolyn Hax’s advice to a grandparent of an autistic girl to my attention. Here’s a clip of the letter Carolyn is responding to: The mother of my grandgirls is making life a problem. The middle girl is extremely autistic and has not been taught the social rules we all need. ...

I’m sorry this is short today – something came up in my personal life. Assumptions: Unfair & Not Unfair This is an ethics professor discussing the ethics of caring for patients whose injuries were, in our view as physicians, “brought upon themselves”, or for patients whom we don’t necessarily like. Racist, Sexist, and Homophobic I posted Monday about the ...

Are you, or have you been, a post-secondary student with a disability? What have been your experiences with navigating your institution as a disabled student? Is/was there a Student Accessibility Services office, and how effective were they in assisting you? If you are willing to talk about what happened – good or bad – ...

But children are very aware of the pressure to be normal. And when people like Jenny McCarthy and her ilk push “cures” for disability out there, not only are parents asked why they aren’t administering these cures, children are, either directly or indirectly, asked why they aren’t cured, too.