Disability Rights Archives - Page 5 of 8

Spying on Disablism

This post is part of the blogging carnival Blogging Against Disablism Day. Okay, that sounds like I’m blogging against there being a “disablism day.” It’s a day to blog against disablism, meaning prejudice against those who have disabilities. It is sponsored by Diary of a Goldfish. I am not disabled. As someone who is “disability-challenged” (that cracks me up, I love it!), but still caring about those who do have disabilities, I am in an unusual position to observe people’s response to disability when they are not trying to be sensitive. So here are some honest reactions from non-disabled people… *** I went on a date with a nice young man in a wheelchair. I was living in southern California at the time and...

Posted by RuthMadison on May 1, 2011 in Disability Rights | 6 comments

Glee- Born This Way

This was an amazing episode. It focused on accepting yourself with all the things that you think need fixing, the things you don’t like about yourself. It was based around Lady Gaga’s new song “Born This Way.” I highly recommend this one, even if you’re not a big Glee fan (and side note, Kurt’s number from Sunset Boulevard was possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard on the show, I had tears streaming down my face by the end of it). For the big number at the end, all the kids wore white t-shirts with black lettering spelling out the one thing they are most self-conscious about. It was powerful and moving. Artie’s t-shirt said “four-eyes.” He was not a focus on this episode, but even so, I...

Posted by RuthMadison on Apr 29, 2011 in Disability Rights, Movies, Sexuality | 8 comments

The Book Group

Thanks to a suggestion right here on the blog, I have been watching The Book Group. Here’s the description on IMDB: “American Clare Pettengill, newly arrived in Glasgow, starts up a book group in order to make some new friends. The group consists of three unhappy European football wives, a pretentious drug-addict student, a closet-homosexual football enthusiast, and a kind and gentle struggling author in a wheelchair. Each week they meet to read and discuss a new book, which always affects or influences each of the group’s lives in some way.” It’s available to watch on Hulu. Kenny is the paraplegic character and so far I’m finding him well done. It’s a nuanced performance with his disability playing not too large or too...

Posted by RuthMadison on Apr 26, 2011 in Disability Rights, Movies, Paraplegic Hero, Paraplegic Heroine | 5 comments

How to Talk to a Person in a Wheelchair

Am I an expert in this topic? Hell no. But from my little bit of observation I have some pointers for those who freak out at the thought of having a conversation with a person sitting in a wheelchair. It’s not hard. They aren’t aliens. 1) Don’t panic. The more you worry over saying the wrong thing, the more likely you are to sound stupid. 2) Before you say anything, think of or look at an able-bodied person of the same gender and imagine saying whatever it is you plan to say to that person. Would you ask that person if his sex organs worked? Would you tell her that her ability to get out of bed and go to a restaurant is an inspiration? Would you ask him to recount the most emotionally difficult day of his life? No? Then don’t say...

Posted by RuthMadison on Apr 1, 2011 in Disability Rights | 4 comments

Review, part two

This review is from: The Night, They Say, Was Made for Love: Plus My Sexual Scrapbook (Paperback) “Great and humerous read!!! John Callahan is a very talented man who has never let his disability get in his way.” What exactly does his disability have to do with this? What would it get in the way of? Being talented? Drawing cartoons? Writing a book? I think his disability is irrelevant in this context, am I wrong about that? This review just sounds patronizing to me. Being patronized for writing a book by someone who can’t spell, I hope Callahan got a laugh from...

Posted by RuthMadison on Mar 28, 2011 in Disability Rights | 0 comments

In Praise of Wheelchairs

“…at 23yrs old I thought falling over daily was ‘normal’. Now I have my wheels I can go shopping, socialise, dance, sail, even do some basic chores on a good day. All things that without my wheels would be simply: Impossible. I walk where I can and I wheel where I can’t. My wheels quite literally gave me back my life. My independance. My sparkle.” http://stickmancommunications.blogspot.com/2011/03/international-wheelchair-day.html Love this article! Check it out. I can’t believe I missed “International Wheelchair...

Posted by RuthMadison on Mar 28, 2011 in Disability Rights | 0 comments