This is a response to the awful, pooooor aduuuuuuults Cracked article about working with “troubled children”. I worked in a classroom for kindergarten-4th graders with an educational classification of Behavior Disorder/Emotionally Disturbed. I loved them all, each and every one. Most of them had been through more by age 7 than anyone should be ever. This post is dedicated to them. I hope they are all safe & healing now.
Tag: disability
Australian disability site RAMP UP hit by cuts – Activists have created a crowdfunding campaign to fund a replacement.
More info here http://wheelchairtray.com.au/supporting-voice-people-disabilities
To jump straight to the crowdfunding page click here
Attitudes – Communication
Communication is not only speaking, typing, texting or signing. Communication is also being able to listen and understand, being accommodated to make interaction possible.
This is for those who don’t understand what executive function is. Even I know what it is after reading this and I can relate to this so much, especially in organization, impulse, and self-monitoring!
It doesn’t mention autism, but I know autistic people tend to be poor at executive functioning.
Petition to put Hawkeye’s disability and use of a hearing aid in Marvel Cinematic Universe please and thank-you
[Images are of a table with red, yellow, and green stickers as well as a sign on it. The sign explains that they are interaction stickers to let attendees know your interaction preferences.]
LinuxCon added communication stickers to their their con! Thank you for increasing access- we hear it went over well!
This is a fantastic step forward, a great way to help people of all abilities and neurotypes interact safely in a shared space, but, a reminder! The original traffic light badge system piloted by the autistic community involved symbols as well as colours so that people who are colourblind could follow the system too. Since red-green colourblindness is one of the commonest forms, and red and green are polar opposites in what kind of interaction a person wants, please, if you want to do a communication system, remember that colourblindness is a thing and put symbols on your badges/stickers.
Quiet mental MPU obsession of the day:
I’ve talked a little on here (without fleshing it out too much because I’m ages from using it) about how Bucky screwed up his shoulder in the service, how it bothers him now and will bother him worse in the future. But I’ve spent a lot of time recently thinking about Steve and Bucky’s friendship with Sam and Riley, how they hang out together, and how they’re probably that clump of friends who hang out at all the church events to the point where the old ladies serving the punch just call them The Barneses and the Wilsons, like they’re one big unit.
(Steve’s never offended when the old church ladies call him by Bucky’s last name. Riley pulls a face every time.)
But Sam and Riley both served, too, and that led me to the thought of Riley being seriously injured before his discharge. Like, maybe that’s why they left the service: Riley was badly hurt and couldn’t return, and Sam worked as hard as he could to follow him out. Which is maybe why they have a (big, dopey, wonderful) service dog at home, why Sam spends a lot of his free time kicking around the VA (Riley maybe works there, a page from the movie since Sam’s a law student in this), why sometimes Steve and Bucky drop off a crockpot meal or something when Sam sends one of those texts before church on Sunday: rough night and morning, see you next week.
I’m not sure if Riley’s wounds are physical or not (I play with the idea of a lost limb, maybe a leg), but mentally, it’s rough, sometimes.
And when Dot first notices—because you know she will, she’s smart and observant (like both her daddies)—she just tips her head to the side and asks when Riley’ll be better. “Sick people get better,” she says when Steve blinks at her, exasperation in her tone. “Riley and Sam miss church when Riley’s sick, so when will he stop being sick and be better?”
Steve’s face is soft when he crouches down in front of her. “Remember a long time ago, when we talked about why Uncle Tony’s sometimes so … ” He searches for a good word, and he rolls his eyes when Bucky mouths unglued. “Why Uncle Tony goes a million miles an hour like he’s had way too much chocolate?” Dot nods, and Steve forces a little smile. “Remember why we said Uncle Tony does that?”
“Because his brain’s not always nice to him,” Dot reports.
“Right. And Riley’s brain isn’t very nice to him, either.” Steve brushes hair out of her face. “And sometimes, that means he and Sam stay home from church and cuddle with Captain Fluffybritches.”
Bucky snickers the way he always snickers at the dog’s name—“He came up with it,” Sam’d exclaimed back when they’d landed the dog, and Riley’d rolled his eyes at him—but Dot frowns. “Do lots of people have mean brains?” she asks.
“More than you’d think,” Steve tells her, and she nods like she understands.
Riley’s a little more grounded by the time they bring over a bucket of chicken and all the sides that night, and Sam invites them to stay for dinner. “Even if this is half a watermelon away from a stereotype,” he criticizes.
“Only for one of us,” Riley calls after him, and then Dot’s sort of tossing herself around his waist like she’s missed him, which is weird for Dot and Riley’s relationship. (Most of the time, they play dress up and engage in very serious meta-analysis of the latest Sofia the First episode.) Steve and Bucky flinch like they want to apologize, but Riley lights up like a sunrise. “What, did you miss my off-key singing this morning?”
Dot shakes her head before she glances up at him. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry you have a mean brain, and I hope it gets less mean like my Uncle Tony’s did after he went to the Four Trees place.”
Bucky face-palms, Steve blushes, and Sam laughs hard enough that he almost drops KFC all over the floor. But Riley just grins at her and ruffles her hair. “I hope it works that way, too,” he says, and then he leads Dot off to find the plastic flower crown she wears every time she comes over.
I liked this scrap that you wrote about Dot and Riley, I think because as a disabled person, and as the partner of a disabled person, I have feelings about how people talk about disabled people in our society. The line that stood out for me is ‘sick people get better’, because, although it’s a four-year-old saying it, that’s the prevailing view of society, that illness, injury and disability are things you ‘get better’ from, and really, that’s not always the case, but no one seems to want to admit that – that there are people in our society, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our churches and in our culture, who don’t get well, who won’t ever get better, but who are just as human as they are, and who belong just as much as an able-bodied or able-minded person does. People get uncomfortable when you challenge that, too. I went for disability payment after my diagnosis, and the person processing me said something about ‘maybe in the future’ and I corrected her saying ‘no, I’m autistic, it’s neurological, I was born this way and it’s permanent’, and she responded instantly that I was being pessimistic and defeatist. I wasn’t. But no one wants to accept that disabled people aren’t part of some inspiration porn story that ends with them being able-bodied or able-minded at the end or ‘just as good as’. Our society shouldn’t be a club with the worthy being accepted and the rest on the fringes, but it is. And until able-bodied and able-minded people accept that we’re worthy just as we are, without ‘overcoming’ anything, that’s the way it’s going to stay.
“Image Credit: Carol Rossetti
When Brazilian graphic designer Carol Rossetti began posting colorful illustrations of women and their stories to Facebook, she had no idea how popular they would become.
Thousands of shares throughout the world later, the appeal of Rosetti’s work is clear. Much like the street art phenomenon Stop Telling Women To Smile, Rossetti’s empowering images are the kind you want to post on every street corner, as both a reminder and affirmation of women’s bodily autonomy.
"It has always bothered me, the world’s attempts to control women’s bodies, behavior and identities,” Rossetti told Mic via email. “It’s a kind of oppression so deeply entangled in our culture that most people don’t even see it’s there, and how cruel it can be.”
Rossetti’s illustrations touch upon an impressive range of intersectional topics, including LGBTQ identity, body image, ageism, racism, sexism and ableism. Some characters are based on the experiences of friends or her own life, while others draw inspiration from the stories many women have shared across the Internet.
“I see those situations I portray every day,” she wrote. “I lived some of them myself.”
Despite quickly garnering thousands of enthusiastic comments and shares on Facebook, the project started as something personal — so personal, in fact, that Rossetti is still figuring out what to call it. For now, the images reside in albums simply titled “WOMEN in english!“ or ”Mujeres en español!“ which is fitting: Rossetti’s illustrations encompass a vast set of experiences that together create a powerful picture of both women’s identity and oppression.
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is the way it has struck such a global chord. Rossetti originally wrote the text of the illustrations in Portuguese, and then worked with an Australian woman to translate them to English. A group of Israeli feminists also took it upon themselves to create versions of the illustrations in Hebrew. Now, more people have reached out to Rossetti through Facebook and offered to translate her work into even more languages. Next on the docket? Spanish, Russian, German and Lithuanian.
It’s an inspiring show of global solidarity, but the message of Rossetti’s art is clear in any language. Above all, her images celebrate being true to oneself, respecting others and questioning what society tells us is acceptable or beautiful.
"I can’t change the world by myself,” Rossetti said. “But I’d love to know that my work made people review their privileges and be more open to understanding and respecting one another.””
From the site: All images courtesy Carol Rossetti and used with permission. You can find more illustrations, as well as more languages, on her Facebook page.
Oooh. I reblogged a partial version of this recently but I didn’t know how many more there were! I LOVE these!
TurboRoo, a chihuahua born without its front legs, was given a 3D printed cart made by San Diego firm 3dyn so he could train to be a service dog for disabled children.
A Call for Solidarity with the Community of Ferguson, Missouri |
For the last few days, like many other disenfranchised communities across the country, the disability community has watched what is happening in Ferguson, Missouri. Our hearts are heavy with sorrow, anger, and fear for what is happening to individuals, families, and communities so similar to our own.
Even following the release of the name of the police officer who was ultimately responsible for Michael Brown’s death, we must still come to terms with the tragedy itself. This is a tragedy not just because of the precious loss of life or the actions of one person, but is also a tragedy that is caused by the criminalization and dehumanization of our own citizens. It is a tragedy not only for Michael Brown’s family but for the entire country.
Perhaps, it is more honest to for us to say, it is yet another tragedy that has become all too common for communities viewed as “other” to the American majority – young men of color, people with disabilities, lgbt individuals.
“They didn’t comply.” They were “bad kids.” “They were being belligerent.” “They looked suspicious.”
These statements that have no real discernable meaning often warrant a death sentence for the individuals upon which the observations are based.
- Eric Garner, 43, who had asthma, was pulled to the sidewalk onto his chest and restrained in a chokehold by an officer. The medical examiner cited that Garner’s cause of death was “compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.” (New York)
- Robert Ethan Saylor, 26, who had Down syndrome, went to see a movie and refused to leave. It was customary for Saylor to see a movie twice. Deputies put Saylor on the floor, held him down, and handcuffed him with such force that he suffered a fracture in his throat cartilage and died of asphyxiation. (Maryland)
- Keith Vidal, 18, who had schizophrenia, was tasered, then shot, and killed when his family called law enforcement for help calming their son down. Vidal’s stepfather said, “”They killed my son in cold blood. We called for help, and they killed my son.” (North Carolina)
- Gilberto Powell, 22, who has Down Syndrome, was beaten by police outside his home and was left with horrible bruises and scars on his face when law enforcement suspected he was carrying a weapon and tried to pat Powell down. Powell did not understand and ran. The suspicious bulge in his pants? It was a colostomy bag. (Florida)
- Barry Montgomery, 29, who has schizophrenia, Tourette’s syndrome, and is non-verbal ,was harassed and then beaten and tasered for 25 minutes by sheriff officers when he was confronted about the smell of marijuana in his general area, and Montgomery did not respond. Montgomery sustained massive permanent injuries. (California)
Eric Garner, Ethan Saylor, Keith Vidal, Gilberto Powell, and Barry Montgomery – these are the names of a few people with disabilities who were brutally injured and killed because of who they are. There are many who were lost before them, and there are certainly others whose names we will never know because the brutality against them was never reported.
When a system that is designed to protect and serve is fueled by fear and anger, that is not merely a surmountable problem. It is a catastrophic failure of the system, and it demands transformation. Such a failure represents a lack of leadership, a corruption of institutions, and a distressing willingness to purposely and violently silence the voices of entire communities marked as different, non-compliant, and suspicious.
Perhaps what is most disconcerting however, is that the failure to support our young men of color, who are gay who have disabilities, who are poor, is not just to be laid at the feet of an intolerant police force, self-interested politicos or even a sensational hungry media. The fault lies in our own hearts.We have not taken enough of the responsibility to manage and maintain the values that we believe are right. We have been complacent in our engagement and been comfortable enough to declare that the problems are with other people. We have allowed ourselves to be separated into tiny groups of associated individuals rather than communities participating in a collective conversation about the state, direction and makeup of our society.
We have allowed problems of marginalization, exclusion, inaccessibility, dissemination, sexism and bigotry — problems that affect us all — to instead be addressed by a few, and have been content to say that it is a disability problem, or a race problem or gender problem or sexuality problem rather than admit that it is a problem for all of us. As members of a community that supports justice and inclusion we do not have the luxury to stand by when injustice is blatantly taking place in any form, and nor should we be satisfied to wait for other communities to ask for our help.
Civil rights, respect, and justice are due to all. We will not remain silent. The disability community, like the LGBT community, and so many others around the country, stands with the family of Michael Brown and with the people of Ferguson, Missouri. We call on the national and local media to be responsible and steadfast in their coverage of this story and others like it. We call on policy makers on all levels of American government not to shrink from action, and we are deeply grateful to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice for their immediate commitment to a thorough investigation. Let us all come together, not only to rally and mourn but also to plan for action and collaboration.
Lastly, we specifically invoke the words of Justin Dart in “a call for solidarity among all who love justice, all who love life, to create a revolution that will empower every single human being to govern his or her life, to govern the society and to be fully productive of life quality for self and for all.”
The Lead On Network
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Ollibean
Washington Metro Disabled Students Collective
Queerability
Ramp Your Voice!
Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf (HEARD)
If you are a disability organization and interested in signing on to this statement, please contact us at LeadOnUpdate@gmail.com. If you are an individual with a disability who cares about this issue and supports this statement please share it widely. Also, we know you have your own thoughts to express and urge you to do so in the comments. We will not remain silent! The events of the last week touch us all.
We are honored to join leadonupdate, queerability, and others in signing on to this letter of solidarity with the Community of Ferguson, MO. Not only do we face related struggles, but there are undoubtedly Autistics in Ferguson, and definitely Autistics of Color who face the issues being struggled with and protested against in Ferguson across the nation and the world.
If you are a disability org, please join us in signing on to this letter. Instructions are at the end of the text.
Reasons to support this sign-on letter:
- SOLIDARITY, All marginalized communities ought to stand in solidarity with each other;
- INTERSECTIONALITY, When racism prevails, this often has the most disproportionate impact on people of color with disabilities—disabled people of color cannot be freed until freed of both ableism AND racism;
- ITS TIME FOR PAYBACK, because people with disabilities (of all races) wouldn’t have some of the rights we enjoy today in the U.S. if it wasn’t for the help we received from Black Panthers in 1977: http://socialismartnature.tumblr.com/post/76951614367/black-history-of-504-sit-in-for-disability-rights-more So if you’re thinking, “Do we really “need” to get into what’s happening in Ferguson” … well, the Black Panthers didn’t really “need” to get into the 1977 section 504 disability rights sit-in protest either, but they still did. And they did it with actual dollars and cents that I’m sure they could have found a thousand other uses for that were more directly and more unmistakably relevant to their own struggles for the liberation of black people in America. The least we can do in return is to talk to disability organizations you’re familiar with about signing onto this sign on letter. Let the people of Ferguson know they’re not alone in their struggle.
Reblogging this again for added info.
knitting in the dark 