So Okay, I’m Supposed to Be a Thinking Blogger

Well, I guess I should be proud, because Seahorse of The Beauty Offensive nominated me for the “Thinking Bloggers Award”. OMG! I didn’t become sort of active in the blogosphere till moving from DiaryLand to WordPress last February, and I’m still trying to recover from the “compulsive writing” image I apparently left, so I’m kind [...]

Read Full Post »

Media Stereotypes and Disability

David at Growing Up with a Disability wrote about disability stories and media. In the post, he points out that the NPR piece may’ve looked “positive” but its “inspirational” feel made it reflective of the very same stereotype that pity stories are grounded in: that disabled people really can’t do much.
Is it really the same [...]

Read Full Post »

“This Is What Your Behavior Calls For.”

Far too often, staff in facilities in the developmental disabilities or psychiatric systems, make any of these statements, or variations on them:

“This is what your behavior calls for in me.”

“Your behavior is so extreme that I even had to do [action the staff feels is inappropriate].”

“I will leave you alone / you will have to [...]

Read Full Post »

Thoughts on Support Attitudes and Disabled People Having a Voice

Too often, when discussing preemie outcomes, independent living becomes an important factor. This is understandable. After all, when a preemie adult can’t live independently and there are no services where that adult lives, the parents are often responsible for caring for the adult. So, who can blame those parents when they complain about bad outcomes [...]

Read Full Post »

Weed Out Ugly Embryos?

I just found out that a UK fertility clinic got permission to screen embryos for squint and discard the ones that will have the cosmetic difference. I obviously oppose this practice, but I’m even more angered by the emotional reasoning used in the doctor’s arguments:

When asked if he would screen embryos for factors like hair [...]

Read Full Post »

Thoughts on Communication Difficulties and Support Needs

This past week has been very confusing. Most of it is related to the fact that we’ve been working on my care plan and I’ve been trying to clarify my abilities and difficulties to Arda and, in the process, tried to clarify them for myself. When doing the care plan and writing down my support [...]

Read Full Post »

Thoughts and Feelings about Wanting to Accept Myself

Recently, Joel of NTs Are Weird wrote a post on stereotypes about successful autistics. Even though I already wrote a comment, I think I need to address this issue in a wider context in my own journal, since it’s been quite an issue for me personally and I’ve particularly faced it over this week.
I am [...]

Read Full Post »

Freedom from Disablism: What Does It Mean?

Today is Blogging Against Disablism Day. Disablism, also known as ableism or disability discrimination, is the different treatment of people based on disability. Usually, this discrimination is rooted in stereotypes, usually negative ones. Hence, since people with disabilities presumably can’t work, employers don’t care to hire them, and this only reinforces the stereotype. Ultimately, the [...]

Read Full Post »