this past weekend, i ruined my hair. i now have this big blonde patchy layer on the side of my head. just gonna rock it since it costs too much to get professionally fixed...
but enough of my hair. there was a reason i brought it up. i wanted to tell you about something my mom said when she walked in and witnessed the tragedy which is my head:
"cripchick-yah!! just cause you're in a chair doesn't mean you have to be radical about everything!!"
she thought i did my hair like this on purpose? and she associates wheelchair users with militancy? wow. folks, like the ADAPT activists in DC this week, really ARE redefining disability.
the divine ms jimmi says:
When people with disabilities take to the streets and say that the system is broken, we don't want to live in your shitty institutions because the sight of us bothers you or that we want our rights along with choices that the mainstream public takes advantage of everyday--suddenly, we're not so cute and inspirational. People with disabilities want to live in the real world with everyone else. We want our chances to live and work and have families. We hate your institutions, your "special schools" your "special olympics" and your crappy segregated institutional housing choices.all i can say is yes. yes yes yes yes whether you represent the community by taking a sledgehammer to an inaccessible curbcut helping someone navigate medicaid spend downs, pass accounts, etc questioning things talking about SEX writing your heart out setting up a tent city on HUD's front porch advocating for services in school saying NO! we do not think this is okay & will not let it happen working on the Hill (the ADA Amendments Act passed this week!) bringing it all together under one roof [intersectionality] organizing a disability pride parade applying cross-disability theory to a whole new movement hosting disability culture events recording the history of collective struggle planting and growing seeds for the future fighting so people can have those basic services in your community challenging the mainstream media connecting people together using the tools in your hands, i am so proud of you today. so so proud of my community today. lead on. love to you all, cripchick
I am so proud of those who went and put their bodies on the line for all of us. They are showing people that we will not be ignored. We will not watch our brothers and sisters with disabilities be institutionalized simply because it’s more convenient for the state to lock us up and throw away the key.
By the way, I think it’s totally awesome that your mom associates being a wheelchair user with having a radical mindset. It’s way past time for politicians to start seeing things that way too.
Posted by bint alshamsa on September 18th, 2008.
Hey, great blog here. Love this post as well. Thanks for following me on Twitter. How’d ya find me?
Posted by Jack Stephens on September 18th, 2008.
@ bint, i know, i can’t even put my pride into words this week. amazing
@ jack, not sure how i saw you on twitter (i think through another twitterer) but have been lurking over at your blog and catching hip hop friday for a while now : ) thanks for stopping by
Posted by cripchick on September 18th, 2008.
Clearly ADAPT is the new generation for disability rights. I suggested that ADAPT members publicly by pass talk or harsh criticism of the organizations that came before as a way to bridge the gaps between then and now.
Posted by Liz on September 18th, 2008.
equating disability and militancy = uber awesome :) :) :)
yeah, the ongoing ADAPT action is fantastic, i am looking on from the UK with major envy…
BTW, i think you would look *hot* with a shaved head… ;)
Posted by shiva on September 18th, 2008.
From first-hand experience, I can recommend Beyond the Zone goth-black hair coloring to cover all kinds of regrettable hair situations. I was surprised how well it worked, and it’s gentle to use after most other coloring products. Worth a try, anyway, before you shave it all off and start over. (Now that’d please your mum, eh?)
Posted by pennylrichardsca on September 18th, 2008.
@ liz it’s been really cool to see ADAPT continually bring in new techniques and strategies (twitter, blogswarms, tent city) that i think keeps them current in many ways. at the same time, it’s cool to recognize the role ADAPT has played since the beginning. nothing neater than retelling ADAPT stories to a group of new activists, y’know? : )
@ shiva, me— shaved head? *blushes*
@ penny LOL! thanks for the hair advice— i have this little squeezy bottle of “Beautiful Collection Dark Warm Brown” semi-permanent color rinse but am scared to try it out after such a trying experience :) will have to check out beyond the zone though!
Posted by cripchick on September 18th, 2008.
Aaargh you changed the look of your blog AGAIN! And i had just got used to the green one…
Posted by shiva on September 18th, 2008.
i was thinking of you the whole time, hope you will still stick around shiiiiva
Posted by cripchick on September 18th, 2008.
Okay, this post makes me so happy and proud to consider myself part of the disability community!
Although I am still kind of debating whether I am part of that community in the first place, having a learning disability, but that is a musing for another time.
Re: hair: Maybe you could buy some Manic Panic hair dye and dye said blonde streak red or purple? (Or were you trying to do something like that on the first place?)
Posted by Miss Nomered on September 18th, 2008.
Ooooh, I like Miss Nomered’s idea. Red red red! Like, commie red!
Then you mom will know you’re a real radical :)
But seriously, I think that’s a wonderful thing for her to say. How exciting that she associates wheelchair-using with radicalness!
Posted by Rachel on September 21st, 2008.
this post made me smile and feel the urge to bleach my goatee…
Posted by PhilosopherCrip on September 23rd, 2008.