cripchick's blog

Terri, a disability advocate and nurse, on language, specifically the r-word:

Change already.

Why?

Because the people we exist to SERVE have asked us to. They assure us that those words hurt them.

That is enough of a reason.

Dear community,

Many of you have supported the protests against Jerry Lewis receiving a humanitarian award at the Oscars for his involvement with the MDA telethon. Similarly, the autistic self advocacy community is calling on folks to boycott Lindt Chocolates for supporting Autism Speaks, an organization that promotes a strong eugenic agenda, spreads its message through fear and pity, and denies the voices of autistics by only having parents and nondisabled professionals serve in leadership positions. Many of you will recognize Autism Speaks as the organization with the puzzle piece logo (connected to the idea that autistics have something missing and need nondisabled people to find the puzzle piece). 

graphic made by Bev at Asperger Square 8

Boycotts hit them where it hurts the hardest, let’s mobilize once again and show the world the power of our coming together! You can read more here and shoot Lindt an email here.

In solidarity,
cripchick

(h/t to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network).
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i don’t know that the disability community is at a place where we can handle internal criticism in a way that other communities can. it sounds silly, but do we have the infrastructure to talk about language or models in a way that the queer/glbt can about HRC and assimilation or would every thing fall apart? not sure. regardless, some things have to be said or we can never really be a community (which is why i am posting this here on my blog).

left this as a comment to endeavorfreedom’s podcast on vaccines and autism. endeavorfreedom is a great website where disability rights folks interact via forums, videos, etc. hearing this podcast from someone so radical was disappointing.:

hello friend— i haven’t listened to the whole show but i hope that next time a show is done like this, the perspective of autistic self advocates are included (and on a disability rights program built on nothing about us without us philosophy, centered, celebrated, and recognized as the most legitimate). there is a lot of writing done by autistic bloggers and other activists about the inaccuracy and misinformation around the anti-vaccine movement and it’s important for the disability community to look at autistic self advocates as the experts on these topics, not parents or other people.

i think sometimes our experiences as people of color and other marginalized people affects our approach to vaccines, but when it comes to whether “mercury causes autism”, not listening to the autistic self-adv community is dangerous and frankly, intolerable (especially as this question completely flies in the face of neurodiversity).

w/ love and respect,
cripchick

“how do you two feel about gay people?”
“would you ever date a disabled person?”

this weekend, friends and i organized a planning retreat for the disabled youth collective we are involved with. it’s always a trip to do this kind of thing—things are so fast-paced with social justice work that moving at that all-encompassing, all-consuming level becomes the norm. but then you go out into the woods with a crew of people who are completely new to organizing and well… it just doesn’t work that way. you realize there is language you take for granted, connections people have to make for themselves, and strategies for planting all these new seeds. a lot of waiting is involved. it’s so dreadfully slow. people ask you questions like the ones above and you have to sit for a second in disbelief ’cause you can’t remember the last time someone asked you that..

but this kind of thing— it’s beautiful at the same time, you know? seeing someone experience that “lightbulb moment” and knowing you were a part of it is the most amazing thing in the world. for example, one of my favorite guys (a high schooler w/ a learning disability, affectionately known as preacher), showed up late. he explained that his mother’s car wouldn’t start and when they said he had to call and cancel, he told them that he loved them but there were some things only other disabled people could get (!). his family drove a rental car two hours there and two hours back so he could come. unbelievable, huh? Read the rest of this entry »