Images of Disability in Hollywood

This video is making the rounds on the internet. Wanted to post it for those who haven't seen it yet. And if you wonder why the disability community pans Hollywood for its treatment of us, check it out.

[Warning: Includes nudity and violence.}

Hollywood Images of Disability (CHF EDIT) from salome chasnoff on Vimeo.

Comments on "Body Matters"

Wheelchair Dancer's post Body Matters was in my google reader this morning.

I'd like to share part of it with a few comments of my own:

WD: With regard to work, exercise, and life, a person with a "slipped disk" could easily be regarded as disabled. But our culture treats someone with this impairment very differently from someone with, say, spinal cord injury. And I don't know why. Perhaps, it is in the way the impairments are legible/visible to the external viewer. Perhaps, the difference lies in the possibly mistaken understanding that it is "just" a disk. Recovery is around the corner. Whatever the reason (and to be honest, I don't care), I do know that one set of back impairments allows the person to retain social value and capital -- even if they aren't working -- while another strips away humanity and leaves the person vulnerable to all kinds of prejudice and stereotyping.

WC: At a dance recital for my niece years ago, I was sitting in my wheelchair next to a woman in a wheelchair who had her leg in a cast - a temporary injury. We were both in the aisle next to the folks we came with in the same exact spot, just in rows feet apart. I was told I had to move because I was a fire hazard and she was not. When I refused to move because of the disparate treatment, I was told that 'it was different for her, because it's just a broken leg'. Yet she was sitting in a wheelchair larger than mine, blocking more of the aisle.

WD: And that is part of it for me. Regardless of their medical complexity, some impairments are just medical states, while others plunge their person into a membership in a group of people who experience prejudice, oppression, discrimination, higher rates of unemployment, violence, ... and, on the good side, a wild, wonderful history and culture. Some impairments, no matter how visible they are on the body, allow their person to continue to participate in society, while others leave their person vulnerable to such idiocy as the commentary of my stranger.

And if that is you out there, bowling on up to disabled folk, congratulating us for being out, blessing us for being so inspirational, courageous, brave, whatever ... please, just don't. You know nothing of the complexities with which we do and do not live or even of the joys of our bodies. You are on autopilot, mindlessly reaffirming cultural fears and prejudices which, actually, we can do without. Shut up. Go away.

WC: This is why I hate the word inspirational when it's applied to people with disabilities, e.g., just for being outside. It comes across as patronizing if someone walks over to me when I'm out and says "Good for you for not giving up!" I look over my shoulder to see who they are talking to.

People need to remember that just because my disability may be novel to you, I live with it every day. When you act that way, it sends the message that my disability is the only thing you see about me. It's alienating.

I'd rather someone encourage me for working hard, for achieving success in my career, for any of the accomplishments I've worked hard for. But people don't have that on their radar if they remain stuck at a level where they congratulate me for being out.

When I have time, I'd like to blog about the differences in reactions toward my disability that I've seen since I started using a power chair in public. There's a social hierarchy of disabilities without doubt which, although it may often go unspoken, exists. I'm not saying that those of us with disabilities allow us to keep this hierarchy down. In fact, often the opposite is true.

Disability and Health Journal, Vol 3, Issue 1 (January 2010) free online

The January 2010 issue of the Disability and Health Journal, A Disability Perspective on the issue of Physician Assisted Suicide, pages 1 through 70, is available free online.

It includes articles by Diane Coleman and Carol Gill, among others.

Health care nightmare: Iraq contractor Reggie Lane's story told by L.A. Times

Unable to speak and now a widower, Reggie Lane is being called an unappreciated patriot by the LA Times. While working as a contractor in Iraq, Reggie's right arm was blown off and he received shrapnel wounds. He spoke to his wife Linda afterwards, but a doctor called two days later from Germany for permission to operate. Blood flow to Reggie's brain was blocked from a clot. He became unresponsive. After nine months of hospital care, during which Linda stayed in a hotel in downtown Houston, Reggie began to respond to questions and tried to stand up with assistance.

He was sent to a nursing home, but after Linda confronted workers about his care, Reggie went back to a hospital. Linda's own health deteriorated as she fought insurance company AIG for a care facility near home for Reggie, hiring a lawyer. Contractors injured in Iraq have no access to veteran's facilities or resources, but are treated under workmen's compensation laws.

Reggie now only grunted, his ability to speak having declined, which his doctor said is not typical, but added "If someone goes to a nursing facility, if they happen not to get stimuli, it means the brain could not heal as well as it would otherwise." Meanwhile, Reggie remained in foster care homes, spending most of his time sitting and doing nothing.

In July 2009, Linda Lane died. Five years after his injury, Reggie now blinks to signal yes or no.
(Audio slideshow here.)

Sr. Mary Sponsa Beltran and the Teach Peace Foundation

This video is described on YouTube as follows:

The Teach Peace Foundation helps the disabled in Liberia, Africa live with dignity. Our Special Ambassador program teaches children that disability does not mean inability. In addition to care for the disabled, we provide leadership development experiences for students to get involved while learning about the plight of people with no safety net. For more information, visit www.teachpeace.com or call 570-406-4533.



I apologize that I haven't provided a transcript of this video for visually impaired readers (although it is captioned for deaf readers); however, if you'd like to read more about Teach Peace, please go to this link.

To hear speeches from Sr. Mary Sponsa Beltran about her work, please go here.

Emerging Trends Public Consultation

via NCD list serv:

Emerging Trends Public Consultation

The National Council on Disability (NCD) is gathering public input for a study of emerging issues and trends affecting the lives of people with disabilities. Information gathered will be used in the development of NCD's next annual progress report to the President and Congress, "National Disability Policy: A Progress Report," which is required by Section 401(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The purpose of this public consultation is to gather input to inform NCD's assessment of the status of the nation in achieving policies that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, and empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

If you would like to participate, the entire document and information on how to respond is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2009/NationalCouncilonDisability.doc.

Please send your responses to NCD by September 15, 2009.

Mark S. Quigley

Director of External Affairs

National Council on Disability

1331 F Street, NW Suite 850

Washington, DC 20004

202-272-2008

202-272-2022 fax

www.ncd.gov

You also may want to join more than 2,000 subscribers who receive the latest news from NCD via its listserv. Please sign up at http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/ and click on On-line mailing list archives, then select NCD-NEWS-L and complete the short subscription form.

Dove commercial: man made disability

Just saw this Dove commercial about how low self esteem, which they call a "man made disability", affects a young woman named Katie. A woman in a wheelchair goes to pick up Katie, who has spent three hours getting ready. Katie decides not to go out, doesn't answer the door and then texts her wheelchair using friend that she's sorry she couldn't make it. The wheelchair user is shown as being active , out and about and less disabled. What's your reaction?

People with Disabilities Question Candidates

An article at cbs2chicago.com

from the article:

Among the most significant concerns for those with disabilities are jobs. Unemployment is estimated at 70 percent or more for the disabled.

Housing is also a major concern, as is long term care. The article gives specific answers from each campaign on other issues, such as autism.

As for the creation and appointment of a permanent assistant to the president for disability policy at the White House

McCain: "John McCain needs look no further than to his vice-president Sarah Palin. She will be the first VP to raise a special needs child. Her connection to the disabled and special needs families throughout this nation is personal and compelling. You will find no greater advocate."

Obama: "Barack Obama supports the idea of creating a permanent position of an Assistant to the President on Disability Policy in the White House."

via cbs2chicago.com

h/t Coping with Disabilities

What Kind of Advocacy do Americans with Disabilities Really Need?

In a guest post over at Patricia Bauer's blog, Professor Paul Longmore has written an open letter to the disability rights constituency, outlining major points by both Republican and Democratic candidates McCain and Obama.

He writes:

In their convention speeches, Palin, John, and even Cindy McCain focused only on children. The media have talked almost exclusively about children too. What so many people seem to forget is that children with disabilities grow up to become adults. Ninety percent of the 54 million Americans with disabilities are adults. Most acquired their disabilities after childhood.

In addition, the media talk has mostly been about “compassion” not about “issues.” There has been little discussion about issues that matter to people with disabilities of all ages, issues such as health insurance, community-based personal assistance services, education, employment, and civil rights. Research has repeatedly found that voters in the disability constituency — adults with disabilities, parents, and many professionals — decide how they will vote based on candidates’ positions on disability issues. But they are often frustrated in trying to get that information.

and goes on to say:

Obama and Biden have a set of detailed policy proposals called their “Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities.” You can find it on their campaign website. (2) In contrast, the McCain-Palin website’s single page on “Americans with Disabilities for McCain” offers no policy positions. (3) Elsewhere, that website mentions autism and disabled veterans but no other issues. (4) (The Obama-Biden website also lays out policy proposals regarding both autism and disabled veterans.) So I’ve tried to glean McCain’s and Palin’s stands from their speeches, votes, and actions.

And he goes on to do that, in detail, backing up his conclusions, setting forth a great deal of useful information.

This is an important post to read prior to casting your vote. It analyzes the issues point by point, those issues which cause hardship to families and individuals with disabilities who are increasingly struggling to make ends meet.

This is a crucial election, one in which many of us with disabilities are saying that we will vote for the candidate who will represent us best. Dr. Longmore says he is voting for Obama and Biden and explains his own journey through the system of work disincentives that all of us are so familiar with, a system that has kept our employment rate low and our options limited. He writes:

Just as important, Obama promises to establish a National Commission on People with Disabilities, Employment, and Social Security. He will charge this commission to undertake, at long last, the elimination of work disincentives in Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, and Medicaid policies. In addition, Obama pledges to increase substantially federal hiring of workers with disabilities.


Many times it may seem to us that our voices are drowned out. Perhaps you're feeling disempowered because you can't work, can't find accessible housing or can't afford the equipment you need.

Now is the time to look around, read about the candidates' positions on issues that matter to you and cast your vote according to your own conscience. Participate and have your say in this very important election. No matter your circumstances, register, (each state's deadline is different) -even if you vote by absentee ballot because your local voting place is inaccessible or you don't have transportation to get there.

Don't sacrifice your vote because of lack of access - cast your vote for the candidate who will work to help us achieve access.

It is important to remember that our vote counts equally. That, my friends, is what this country is supposed to be about.

Democrats accept ADAPT platform, 8 arrested in McCain campaign hq, 3 outside

From Justice for All blog, American Assoc of People with Disabilities

This update from Bob Kafka, National Organizer of ADAPT (3:58 PM, ET):

Civil Rights done in a different way. 500 ADAPT activists have set up DUH City on the HUD Plaza in DC. WITHOUT A PLACE TO LIVE IT IS HARD TO GET A JOB. Low income people with disabilities are about 15 percent of medium income. ADAPT has developed a housing platform that they want Obama and McCain to endorse.

As I write this ADAPT activists are being arrested in Sen McCain's office as he refused to accept the platform. Earlier in the day DNC officials accepted the ADAPT Platform.

8 arrested in McCain Presidential Campaign Headquarters, 3 outside the Headquarters.

INCLUSION, INTEGRATION INDEPENDENCE

Community First!

[image description at left: ADAPT members hold a sign saying House Us with Dignity while standing in front of an American flag. A cameraman stands to the left holding a camera up in the opposite direction.
image description at right: Officers arrive to arrest and remove ADAPT protestors from Republican candidate McCain's headquarters in Virginia. One officer is next to a power chair, shown from the rear. Several other officers can be seen leaning down toward unseen wheelchair/scooter users.]

UPDATE : More arrests follow

Using disability as a chip in the political process, says...

Sonya Kerr, an Anchorage attorney specializing in disability rights, [who] filed a lawsuit against the state and Palin, alleging that there are not enough services for kids with special needs, specifically a child with autism.

"I would say, welcome, Gov. Palin, to our reality and what we've been trying to deal with for a long time," Kerr said. "I hope that it means that there will be support on a bipartisan basis for what people with disabilities need so we are not a bargaining chip in the political process.

via cnn.com

Sometimes the brightest things are not said by any of the candidates...

Palin, diversity and the disabled kids down the block

So my email box is full of opinions about Palin's speech last night. (See what I'm calling the BBC Palin Page here.) She's no doubt a disarming choice for vice president. Palin did her best with a speech some Democrats are calling mean spirited, attacking Obama and promoting her own mayoral experience and her experience since 2006 of being a governor, and many Republicans are hailing as salvation.

You know what? I'm not comfortable with either Obama's or Palin's lack of experience. Palin has no experience in Congress which, let's face it, is pivotal for knowing how to get things done if she has to take over the Presidency. And Obama's experience in Congress , in my opinion, was very brief, although better than none. As for Palin's arguments about her own experience, they fell flat for me. No points there, especially her digs at what Obama has done in his life that she hasn't done. You know. That social justice work she poked fun at, her argument seeming to be well what kind of experience is that? Not like being mayor. I thought that was a blatant slap in the face to people of the inner city and, unfortunately, a preview of the shortcomings of a candidate who is unschooled even in the most basic skills of representing a diverse country.

Yeah, diversity. Oh that.

And then there's the disability issues. Palin told mothers of special needs kids that they will have a friend and advocate in the White House if she's elected. And if she's elected , that's a good thing since McCain has, at present, no disability platform. He's openly against the Community Choice Act, which would allow disabled folks to live in the community. [See article and video link here.] I can't vote for any candidate who would willingly put my butt in a nursing home.

The reality of politics for people with disabilities is that we have to get empowered and read up on candidates' disability platforms. Because if candidates don't have one even before they're elected, then golly gee whilikers what's the chance of them having one after they're elected?

I applaud Palin for speaking up for kids with disabilities and their families. But I didn't hear one word about not institutionalizing people with disabilities, including those special needs kids, once they're grown ups. So is she going to prod McCain into having a disability platform of sorts or not? Is she going to care about those same special needs kids when they grow up and face institutionalization when family can no longer care for them?

Or is she going to be unable to do anything about the issue because she's only a vice presidential candidate?

Bingo.

The D word at the DNC

Disability, that is,

On Monday, August 25, 2008, Senator Tom Harkin spoke at the DNC for the first few minutes in sign language, an interpreter at his side.

(In American sign language) I'm happy to see so many people with disabilities here. I am proud to have your support for the Democratic Party.

(Spoken) We Iowans have a strong, vibrant, two-party political system. However, we do not genuflect to blind ideology. We value thoughtful discourse rather than slogans and posturing we hold dear our freedom.

Governor David Paterson also addressed the DNC on disability issues, briefly describing his own experiences with education and employment opportunities. He provided statistics showing the high unemployment rate of people with disabilities. A vide of his speech is below.



And what about Disaboom at the DNC being movers and shakers? Check it out.

Beth Robinson, a military wife who has MS, addressed the convention last night, as reported here at Disabled Politico. While you're over there, check out the blow by blow convention coverage!

Uppity disability calls Obama VP race a day early....

Uppity disability called it yesterday-and the NY Times and everyone else confirms this morning that Obama has picked Biden as his Vice President. (Uppity disability is asking for links, so there ya go!) Biden is good on disability issues and has a working class background.

But if you still think it's not official, here you go:


[image description: From the Obama site, a photo of Obama with Biden behind his right shoulder, a blue background and text that reads Barack has chosen Joe Biden to be his running mate. Text to the left says Obama Biden.]

Newsweek, in an article entitled No Ordinary Joe, writes this about Biden:

First of all, he has a love of politics and public service. He never tried to get rich from his role, even though he has been in the Senate for decades. He is a fancy dresser--given to stick pin collars and French cuffs--and yet he is an unassuming son of a car salesman who takes the train home to Wilmington almost every night.

His personal story is compelling: a riches-to-rags family background; a first wife killed in a car crash; a devoted life with his second wife; a passel of grandchildren whom he adores as much as they adore him. And he's never had a hint of financial or sexual scandal.

Biden is a Catholic--a demographic must for a Democratic ticket eager to get swing voters in heavily Catholic states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Relatives say 79 year old woman with disabilities in China sentenced to labor camp

Disability Nation reports on the case of two elderly women, one who is nearly blind and uses crutches to ambulate, who have been sentenced to labor camp as part of a re-education program after applying to protest their housing eviction.

Perhaps you caught the NBC Nightly News Report earlier this week that examined the process that China established through which citizens could petition for the right to protest at three specially appointed locations during the Olympics. It turns out that of 77 requests filed by citizens that none of them were granted. Further, it appears that some who have made these requests have been arrested or, as in this case, sentenced to re-education programs which appear to be nothing more than a quick and convenient way to punish people without allowing the individuals any rights or chance to defend themselves.

Wu Dianyuan, 79, and her neighbor Wang Xiuying, 77, were notified Sunday that they were to serve a yearlong term of re-education through labour, said Wang’s son, Li Xuehui. Officials did not specify a reason and still had not acted on the order, he said. via Disability Nation

A spokeswoman for the re-education through labor program denied having either woman's name on record.

[image description: Wu Dianyuan, standing on crutches, and Wang Xiuying are pictured standing on a brick walk on a street with an officer nearby.]

Politico article says Obama may have edge with disabled

So they guess. I mean, don't ask anyone with a disability. Why do I say that? Among other reasons, check this out:

Pollsters normally do not use disability as a demographic sub-group, so there is no publicly available data on the disability community’s leanings in this election, and both campaigns declined to discuss their internal polling. None of the independent pollsters or consultants contacted for this piece had ever polled disabled people or were aware of others having done so

Here is the article.

Disability is an advantage

The thing most people don't know about me is that I love a good challenge.

I've always been that way. Raise the hurdle for me and I find a way over it. Make it more difficult and I'll solve it.

Put me in a situation where there's no access, and it looks like I can't get there and I'll get as resourceful and creative as need be to get around it.

I'm the person climbing up the steps, even with quaddy arms.

I'm the person staying up all night pecking out my work with a stick, even when others are in bed.

I'm the person who will get it done.

And it's not because I'm trying to be an inspiration. I am just trying to do what will give me a full and productive life.

And if you see me climbing up steps, crawling, or doing any of those other things, don't worry about it. Because eventually I know things like

access &
assistive technology

will come around my way. And when it does and it levels the playing field, all those skills I gained, all that persistence I mustered and all that patience I summoned really makes me fly along.

Disability is not just a challenge. It's an advantage.

Why my blog is named Wheelie Catholic

In about 20 minutes the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas will be holding a Palm Sunday procession to celebrate the day on the streets of downtown Dallas.

Yesterday I read a story about the first Catholic church opening in Qatar and how no cross was put up, no bells were put up and no steeple was built. No one knows whether the church will be allowed to remain open. Christians have been asked to practice their religion in their homes.

And there was the kidnapping and death of our archbishop in Iraq.

I had some conversations this week about public witness as it pertains to faith. I am ever reminded of the risk some Catholics take by openly practicing their faith in parts of the world by not only news stories, but by personal stories of missionaries I've met and talked to over the years. This' is very different from what happens here in the U.S.

And then it occurred to me that having a visible disability sometimes puts me in the position of being a public witness. I don't have a choice about that in the same way I have a choice about telling people I am a Catholic, since my disability is visible, but I did have a choice when I started this blog.

There are many differences in the way this works, however. The similarity I do see is that when we act as public witnesses, we represent (voluntarily or not) members of a group. So when I leave my home in my wheelchair, I am seen as a person with a disability in a public way. And I'm treated in certain ways that I was not treated prior to using a wheelchair, including the role of teaching others about my disability. (This happens online as well, which is also 'public'.)

Naming my blog Wheelie Catholic obviously shows that I'm willing to publicly witness as to my faith as well as a person with a disability. The name of my blog, even in the US, has been questioned by some. Some have told me they can't put it in their sidebar because it has the word 'Catholic' in it while others have told me unless I change the name of my blog I can't write for their blog as a group member. I remain Wheelie Catholic.

Such is the state of our freedom to practice religion.

I understand the people who are strewing palms this morning in the streets of downtown Dallas this morning, their joy and their faith. I understand the people who are opening the Catholic church, those who attend as well as the clergy members. They are all in my prayers.

Having the right to openly practice our religion and act as a public witness is a precious one that we should not take for granted.

And having the right to mobility, to get to a church or wherever we want to go, as a person with a disability, is still not realized in our country. There are people who don't have access to the equipment - or care- they need in order to get out.

Yes, there are similarities, more than we realize. Some are even about our vulnerabilities as human beings. Those are, sadly, easier to see when we are struggling to achieve these rights than when we assume we have them. But these rights are, like all things temporal, fleeting.

This is why my blog is named Wheelie Catholic.

The Article That Never Was

I have a confession to make. I pretended to be a wheelchair jock for a decade. And because reporters were so busy writing inspirational stories about me, I never got found out.

Part of playing wheelchair tennis was giving interviews to newspaper reporters. Sometimes my coach arranged them because we needed funding. Other times they were part of an event I was playing at or competing in.

It always went the same. I sat by the side of the tennis net, trying to tighten the duct tape around my tennis racket to my arm with my teeth while a person standing outside the fence surrounding the court waved at me and yelled "Hi! I'm the reporter from ---".

I remember shrugging and perhaps even sighing. My experiences with reporters who interviewed me about wheelchair tennis usually went something like this: they would ask questions such as how I wound up in a wheelchair and what my disability was. Then they would watch me play for a while, take a few pictures and leave. Nine out of ten times none of them asked me anything else. It was as if they were filling out a form entitled : inspirational wheelchair athlete article.

At first I was naive and went along with this. But then I caught on, after reading a few of the articles that were written that were so formulaic. I decided that I'd try to insert some real information about who I was into the interviews. Mostly it seemed to confound and dismay the reporters. If my coach was around, she would go along with it and it became like a comedy routine. Afterwards I'd always ask "Think they 'll use any of it?" to which my coach would reply "Probably not, but we tried."

There was no way, it seemed, to get across the real story which was that I played wheelchair tennis as a weekend warrior, competing at tournaments during the spring and summer for short two or three day trips, while working. The reporters didn't want to hear about my other life - the real job I had and all the other things I did with my life.

Such mundane facts seemed to put them on overload. One reporter put his pen behind his ear and just stopped writing. Another held up her hand and asked "Do you all play tennis or do you have a job? Which is it?" as if I couldn't do both. The resistance to any real facts or information was pretty strong.

Somehow no reporter ever managed to write a story about who I was over the decade I gave interviews. I guess that story just wasn't inspirational enough.

You see, I'm not really a wheelchair jock. I practically flunked gym in school. The only reason I have a wall of trophies for wheelchair tennis is because after my hands were paralyzed and I couldn't play classical guitar any more I got so mad I duct taped a racket on and started hitting tennis balls around one day. A coach saw me. He mistook my anger for athletic aspiration and set me up with lessons. And the next thing I knew I found myself competing in a tennis tournament.

That's the real story.

Oh, except for one thing. I managed to win a cross country skiing event too one year. How did that happen?

Don't even ask .But there is an article about it somewhere. And you can bet it was very inspirational.

Poll Results

The final results of the poll are in. The most important issues readers would like the next President to address, taking into account the results of the online survey form and email responses are, from most important down:

1. increased employment for people with disabilities

2. access to health care

3. mobility equipment issues

4. more accessible housing

5. transportation

6. education issues

7. voting accessibility

Thanks for your responses. The total number of votes was 44.