From legislative victories to societal shifts, the journey of disability rights has been marked by significant milestone events. This blog post delves into disability history, highlighting the crucial moments that have contributed to the civil rights progress and empowerment of disabled people. Specific events are highlighted in the topic areas of education, healthcare, disability pride, and access & transportation.
Read MoreThis week marks the 31st Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Unfortunately, I am not in much of a party mood. On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush declared, "Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down," as he signed the ADA into law, the most significant disability civil rights legislation to date. It feels like the wall is still up, however.
Read MoreI gave up on subscribing to practically all magazines a couple of years ago, but one subscription I am glad I kept is New Mobility Magazine. If you aren't familiar with New Mobility, it is a monthly magazine available online and in print. I prefer the print version.
Read MoreOne thing about disabled life that I don't think many non-disabled people realize is that we live with some amount of discomfort or chronic pain every single day. How we learn to live with this pain, and in many cases, don't just live, but thrive, is a testament to the strength of the disabled that is often not acknowledged in our society.
Read MoreAs I have been sharing my new Love Disabled Life Etsy Shop with friends and family, some of my non-disabled friends have said some version of the following comment, "I really want to buy some of your merch, but I don't know if it's okay because I am not disabled." I felt like it was time to tackle the topic of allyship.
Read MoreI'm somewhat of an organizing and productivity junkie. One of my favorites stores is The Container Store, and I love learning new tips and techniques to help my house and life run more efficiently. Sometimes, though, my disability and my energy levels on any given day can mean no matter how well I plan, plot, or research new ways to keep things tidy, my body can say, "sorry, not today." And then the messes start to pile up.
Read MoreI'm 45 years old. And in these 45 blessed and amazing years of living inside this disabled body of mine, I've come to develop a pretty thick skin when out and about in the world. When you look different than other people from a very early age, as I do, you learn how not to let the stares or occasional comments slow you down, or you try not to anyway.
Read MoreOne topic that I have wanted to discuss here on the blog for a while now is internalized oppression in disabled people. I think it is a topic that does not get talked about enough in our community, for a couple of reasons. One reason is that it can be challenging and uncomfortable. The second reason is I think it is often misunderstood.
Read MoreCan you be disabled and healthy at the same time? Disability has a relatively universally accepted objective definition: an impairment of some sort. Whereas I think health can be more subjective. After all, what is good health? And I think there can be even more of a grey area when you bring in the word disease. I think you can have a disease that causes a disability, but you can be disabled and not have a disease.
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