It's Disability Monday around these parts

Dec 05, 2011 11:22

First, an interesting Invisible Backpack of Able-Bodied Privilege ( Read more... )

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Comments 11

icecreamempress December 5 2011, 17:27:33 UTC
My reading of #2 is that it's a response to the "Why didn't you just leave?" feedback that many people with mobility issues get when sharing concerns about being in a public space where people being inappropriate verbally or otherwise showing disrespect for their boundaries.

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haddayr December 5 2011, 17:29:25 UTC
Yeah; I think she meant 'people who are being annoying and/or assholish;' I think her polite language confused me. :-P

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capriuni December 6 2011, 08:13:14 UTC
I don't think it really matters why why the discomfort happens, though.

Mobility-impaired people have are just as capable as a TAB of being homophobes or racist, for example. And even for bigots, being free to easiily leave a situation is still a privilege that wheelchair users don't have.

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haddayr December 6 2011, 16:06:18 UTC
Good point.

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tigerbright December 5 2011, 17:33:40 UTC
Thank you.

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browngirl December 6 2011, 02:08:05 UTC
*notes for perusal and absorption*

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geniusofevil December 6 2011, 05:46:36 UTC
#2. If I am in the company of people that make me uncomfortable, I can easily choose to move elsewhere.

Damn.

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geniusofevil December 6 2011, 05:47:33 UTC
Sorry, meant to comment in general, hit reply to you by mistake.

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one_undone December 6 2011, 10:07:29 UTC
Number 15 is currently annoying me very badly. Recently moving to a suburb from the metropolitan area has been a big change for me, and probably feels more extreme because I used to be on a bus route just steps from my front door, and the street was a snow emergency route that was kept well plowed in winter. There were also well-plowed sidewalks and alleyways all around my house. Here I am blocks from the bus stop so I cannot get there in winter. There is a sidewalk on only one side of the main street and NO sidewalks whatsoever on any of our side streets, and the streets in our subdivision are only wimpily pseudo-plowed when the city has nothing better to do, thus leaving a thick layer of ice to form on the streets so that driving sucks and I can no longer get around at all using my walker or wheelchair. It's very unlovely. I am frustrated to realize that I will be essentially trapped in my home until spring thaw. >:o ( ... )

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haddayr December 6 2011, 16:05:55 UTC
I'm sorry Number 15 is kicking your ass! It's pretty bad in the city right now, too. I hope when you get a power chair things will change -- most of the power chair users I know use them right on the street and get around that way. Not the most safe way ever, but at least they are not trapped.

I have to say, if you haven't seen anything about the disability rights movement, you will probably be heartened by this video. It's good to see people like us out there agitating, and it's good to see what progress has been made. And the interviews really are good.

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idhren24 December 6 2011, 18:05:02 UTC
Thank you for sharing the links--I've signal boosted the former on Dreamwidth, and seen it further signal boosted there, and very much enjoyed reading the latter. (I'd never heard of 'When Billy Broke His Head' prior to doing so; now I plan on tracking down a copy over the holidays and seeing it with some friends.)

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