By Anna on 6 December, 2010
Don and I went to see a movie the other night, and gosh, we had fun! I mean, there’s nothing funner than going out for a nice evening with your husband and being confronted straight on with the knowledge that one of the scariest things some people can imagine is being forced to live with someone like you! Yay, fun times for everyone!
Posted in anna rants, blaming, Education, media and pop culture, mental health, movies, othering, representations, shaming
By Anna on 23 September, 2010
Frankly, if the Federal Government doesn’t think that their websites provide information in a timely fashion, and that access to that information isn’t something that they should prioritize, why are they bothering with them in the first place? And if they do think it’s important, why are they in essence arguing that “It’s important for most people, but not for the three million Canadians who won’t be able to access it?”
Posted in accessibility, Accessible Tech, activism, anna rants, blaming, disability activism, how to be accessible, justice, make the world a better place, news, normality, othering, policy, politics, signal boost, social attitudes, technology | Tagged canada, canadian
By Anna on 7 September, 2010
Not being from the US, I had this idea in my head that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must be awesome. I mean, come on! It’s been 20 years now! Ramps to every building, disability friendly policies, accessible washrooms in every hotel lobby! I get all starry-eyed just thinking about it.
People with disabilities who have actually been in the US are probably either rolling their eyes or giggling at my naivety.
Posted in accessibility, Accessible Tech, anna rants, blaming, disability activism, i'm right here, identity, invisibility, media and pop culture, news, normality, othering, policy, politics, representations, shaming, social attitudes, work
By Anna on 18 June, 2010
People with disabilities/the disabled are not a collective group that all agree on anything. Asking what “the disabled” want or “the disabled” are doing is exactly like asking what “women” want and what “women” are doing. Women are individuals. Some of them are women with disabilities! We don’t all want the same things, but grouping everyone under the same umbrella, as though we are a Collective rather than Individuals With Opinions and Needs is… well, it’s pretty damned ableist, as well as being arrogant, ignorant, and irritating.
Posted in Ableist Word Profile, anna rants, i'm right here, identity, media and pop culture, normality, othering, representations
By Anna on 21 May, 2010
Disability simulations and disability awareness days are condescending and patronizing towards people with disabilities. Instead of “raising awareness” about the “struggles” people with disabilities face, they end up raising awareness of how difficult it is to be a first-time wheelchair user, open bottled with socks on your hands, or navigate spaces with your eyes closed. They do not actually teach anyone anything about disability.
Posted in accessibility, activism, anna rants, disability activism, i'm right here, invisibility
By Anna on 7 May, 2010
I’m pretty angry about that. Not offended, Ms Magazine, angry. You see, I’m really tired of “the disabled” being treated like we’re unthinking masses. I’m especially tired of the feminist movement – you know, one that allegedly wants equal rights for all people, including women with disabilities – doing this. It makes me angry because I’m a feminist as well as a woman as well as a person with a disability as well as someone who is not the pawn of anyone, thank you very much.
Posted in activism, anna rants, autonomy, disability activism, feminism, gender, global, history, i'm right here, identity, intersectionality, invisibility, justice, othering, representations, resistance, social attitudes
By Anna on 16 March, 2010
It’s been an interesting week or so in Canada regarding issues around disability. “Interesting” here means hit and miss.
Posted in anna rants, autonomy, bodies, disability activism, invisibility, representations, television | Tagged ableism, accessibility, barriers to access, canada, disability, exclusion, politicians, politics, social inclusion, social treatment
By Anna on 25 February, 2010
I think I upset one of the newer employees at my favourite tea shop today. Most of the staff are used to my cynical reactions to newspaper discussions of how inspiiiiiiiiiiring people with disabilities are at this point.
But let me begin at the beginning.
Actually, no, let me begin with something important, since recent events have told me one cannot be too careful.
There is a certain way news media prefers to talk about people with disabilities. They like to tell our stories in a way that’s “inspiring”, that’s about making non-disabled people feel better about stuff. “Oh, look at how brave that person is, being all alive and stuff despite having a disability! I would rather be dead! That person/their parents/their loved ones are so brave and inspiring! I will now put issues of accessibility and disability out of my mind, because I have been inspired!”
Posted in anna rants, autonomy, bodies, media and pop culture, othering, social attitudes | Tagged ableism, disability, exclusion, family, inspiring, media and pop culture, myths and misconceptions, news media, problematic attitudes, social treatment, things people say
By Anna on 14 January, 2010
This is, of course, completely untrue, but there was a concentrated effort to ensure that Keller’s accomplishments were ignored. “Radical Marxist” isn’t as nice a story as “deaf-blind woman overcomes”.
Posted in anna history rants, anna rants, biography, disability activism, feminism, history | Tagged anna rants, helen keller, history, women's history month
By Anna on 25 December, 2009
Hey, able-bodied folks. Why the heck are you not overcoming adversity and becoming an Olympic-caliber athlete? It’s so easy, right? If you just “realize most of your limitations in life are self-imposed”, you, too can do anything!
Posted in anna rants | Tagged sports, stereotypes, supercrip
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