By abby jean on 17 June, 2010
Building on what Chally talked about in her post about doing fine, I wanted to discuss some of the disability aspects of my recent semi-absence. Sometimes I feel like thinking about, reading about, writing about, arguing about, disability issues can become overwhelming for me. I feel that there are so many problems – ableist policies [...]
Posted in activism, disability activism, domestic violence, For Cereal?, identity, intersectionality, introspective, invisibility, mental health | Tagged argh, grr
By Anna on 16 June, 2010
When people tell stories about families like mine – the dude in the wheelchair with omg!cancer, the crazy lady who hides under her desk so nothing can get her – they tend to tell three stories: “Bitter Cripple Who Needs To Be Schooled By Abled-Folks About How Their Life Isn’t Over Yet”, “Overcoming Adversity: A Very Special Lesson”, and “It Sucked, And Then He Died”. The heroes of these stories are almost always the Able-Bodied (and it is very much a “broken body” trope – narratives of madness are different).
Posted in invisibility, media and pop culture, social attitudes
By Anna on 28 May, 2010
[Trigger warning for "disabled child = burden" narrative.]
Abortions do not need to be justified.
I know there are strong political and advocacy reasons why stories like these – the so-called “justified” abortion – are told whenever people talk about abortion and the law. They are “good” abortion stories, with the happy family, the desperately wanted child, the “horrors” for everyone had the abortion not been performed.
Posted in activism, feminism, intersectionality, introspective, invisibility, language, reproductive justice, resistance, shaming, social attitudes
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 19 May, 2010
The way I see it, one of two things is true:
1. Jenny McCarthy cured her son of Autism.
2. Evan never had autism in the first place, but may have had another syndrome, or have been developmentally delayed and “caught up”.
In either case, Jenny McCarthy is not currently the mother of an autistic child.
Posted in identity, invisibility, media and pop culture, news, othering, reading list, representations, social attitudes
By Annaham on 18 May, 2010
Pharaoh Katt at Something More Than Sides: I Dreamed That I Was Normal I dreamed the world made sense, That people never tried To delve into my psyche and redefine my mind. Gauntlet at Tumblr: Janet Street-Porter shares her thoughts on depression… I think maybe what we are seeing here, is women who have a [...]
Posted in autonomy, bodies, class issues, creative work, gender, identity, invisibility, politics, recommended reading, shaming, social attitudes | Tagged ableism, children, children with disabiltiies, government benefits, identity, invisible disabilities, mental health, mental illness, myths and misconceptions, problematic attitudes, social treatment, things people say, work
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 Annaham on 4 May, 2010
RMJ: Disability and birth control, part 1 Widespread (rather than individual) centralization of birth control in feminism alienates and marginalizes their already problematized bodies: trans women, intersex women, older women, women with disabilities that affect their reproductive system, asexual women, women who want to get pregnant. Not to mention the loaded history of otherwise non-privileged [...]
Posted in autonomy, bodies, class issues, gender, global, introspective, invisibility, justice, medical practice, mental health, news, policy, race, recommended reading, representations, reproductive justice, resistance, work | Tagged bad science, communication, depression, global, health care, health care is an accessibility issue, intersectionality, invisible disability, news, race, racism, reproductive justice, reproductive rights, science, social inclusion, work
By amandaw on 1 May, 2010
(Cross-posted at three rivers fog. See more BADD 2010 at Goldfish’s blog.) I’m pretty open about my health issues. To be honest, I don’t know any other way to be. I know how to strategically hide my disabilities from strangers in passing interactions, but from the people with whom I interact on a daily basis? [...]
Posted in accessibility, invisibility, small stories, social attitudes, work | Tagged ableism, accessibility, assholes, badd, badd 2010, chronic illness, chronic pain, disability, disclosure, head asplode, health, migraines, myths and misconceptions, pain, pain management, pain triggers, passing, personal, problematic attitudes, social treatment, stories, things people say, welcome to my life, work
By Annaham on 23 April, 2010
In San Francisco currently, there is something of a debate brewing about Mayor Newsom’s proposed sit/lie laws, which would make it illegal for anyone to sit or lie on any public curb or street in San Francisco (with a couple of exceptions). The intersections with disability here are rather clear. For one thing, there are [...]
Posted in bodies, class issues, invisibility, justice, news, normality, othering, policy, politics, poverty, social attitudes, Uncategorized, violence | Tagged home, homelessness, invisibility, poverty, San Francisco
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