Trouble Is Everywhere

Avec apologies to my french-reading friends

2013-01-08T03:10:27Z

Bon soir, mes amis!

Aujourd'hui, je suis ecouté a un podcast en français. Le podcast a produit par «NKH World Radio Japan», et les nouvelles au sujet du les Chinois et les Australiens. Aussi, le President d'aux Etas-Unis, et le guerre en Iraq. Je ne le comprehend pas, parce que je n'écoute pas les nouvelles en anglais. :(

Je suis mal a la tête. Je voudrais dormir. J'espere que, demain, j'ecrais aussi.

(Oh! Oh! Aujourd'hui, je suis pensé que il fasse froid. Mais, il fait chaud. Ontario. Je suis désolé. :(

comments

Canadian Courts agree: The Government Needs To Make Websites Accessible

2012-06-11T16:21:05Z

Via the CCD:

On 30 May 2012, the court released its decision in the Jodhan case, which seeks to secure access to Government of Canada websites by people with disabilities. CCD applauds Donna Jodhan and AEBC for their hard work on this issue.

I've been following this case for a while. I'm pleased at the court's decision, and still appalled that my government spent so much money fighting this.

comments

LET'S PLAY A FUN GAME

2012-06-01T13:58:33Z

So this is a thing that happened.

Sign Language Ban Imposed on N.J. Girl

School officials have threatened a hearing-impaired girl with suspension if she uses sign language to talk to her friends on the school bus, the girl's parents say.

Danica Lesko and her parents say sign language is the only way to for the 12-year-old to communicate, especially while riding to school on a noisy bus.

But officials at Stonybrook School — which is not a school for the hearing-impaired — and district officials in Branchburg, N.J., apparently believe signing is a safety hazard. They have sent a letter to the Lesko family ordering Danica to stop using sign language on the school bus or risk a three-day suspension.

...

"The Board is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to all students with disabilities, and is satisfied that there has been no violation of that policy in this case," officials said in the statement. "The Board is also committed to assuring the safety of all students who travel on District buses, and will continue to take appropriate steps to accomplish that goal."

LET'S PLAY A FUN GAME.

How do you think Sign Language is a SAFETY HAZARD?

View Poll: I Am Anna's Sarcasm Voice

comments

Ontario strikes again

2011-08-23T14:38:19Z

We have started the process of attempting to get Don health care.

Logically, this should be simple: Canadian moves from one province to another, Canadian receives health care using Canadian's health care card from previous province until residency requirements are met for the new province's health care to kick in.

In practice, things are very different. Don's spent two days on the phone with various people about getting a doctor in the city. Ha ha, ha ha ha.

First call was to the HealthCareConnect people to find a GP that was taking patients. They will not help him because in order to use HealthCareConnect one needs to have a valid Ontario Health Care Card. Don cannot get a valid Ontario Health Care Card until October. We think. It might be longer.

HealthCareConnect refers Don to a website. The website is woefully out of date. He finally finds a GP that is taking patients and that doctor's office says "Well, awesome, but you have to register with HealthCareConnect before we can take you."

So, Don calls back HealthCareConnect and someone there feels sorry for him and kicks him up a level. That person reveals that she can give him phone numbers for some "community care centers" that are required to take him even if he doesn't have an Ontario health care card, but they're basically like walk-in clinics. There is no regular GP that you'll see (necessary for someone like Don who has a wide variety of health issues, is using a wheelchair full time, and needs careful prescription management) and they don't prescribe the medications he uses to manage pain.

Okay then. I call up our MPP's office. At first I am told that, no no, you can immediately just go into a Service Ontario office and get your health care sorted. The three month waiting period is only for newcomers to Canada. This is fascinating to me as it contradicts absolutely everything else I have ever read and would make Ontario unique amongst Canadian provinces. I ask him to confirm and he spends some time looking at websites and declares that things are "a bit unclear." He tells me that he'll call his contact at the Ministry of Health and get back to me.

So, here we are. Don has enough medication to cover him for a month. With some of his medication, if he can't get a new scrip, he will die. (Slowly, granted, so probably something could be sorted before he slipped into a coma, but who the fuck knows.) Now it's no longer a matter of "medication is expensive", it's a matter of "can we even get it?"

But gosh, if only cripples were more positive thinkers, everything would be easier.

Oh, and by the way: If Don were moving into a long-term care center, then he'd automatically get an Ontario health care card.

comments

Toronto Transit Authority Believes PWD Shouldn't Ride Buses, Part 2 of an ongoing series

2011-08-18T01:20:04Z

The TTC is putting drivers on wheelchair accessible routes who have never been shown how to use the basic safety equipment provided for people who use wheelchairs.

According to our driver home this evening, he has never been shown how to use any of the equipment required to stabilize a motorized wheelchair on the bus he is driving. He advised us (politely) that our options were getting on the unsafe bus, waiting "maybe all night" while he tried to figure out how to use the safety equipment on the bus, or waiting for the next bus. As you all may recall, our luck with "waiting for buses" has been poor, so we chose the option that was unsafe.

Don's electric wheelchair weights 250 lbs without a person in it. Don, who is 6'10" tall, weighs around the same amount. Can you imagine the injuries that could be sustained by Don, or anyone near him, if his wheelchair tipped over because it was not safely secured? The wheelchair swayed back and forth during the whole trip, and on at least one tight turn I was worried it was going to knock right over into the window. I imagine Don's experience of this was even worse.

Don's disability includes a chronic pain condition that is exacerbated by both movement, and having to brace himself. Right now he's doped up on a full morphine dose just to recover from the bus ride home.

PS: Tried five times today to call Wheel-trans. The line was busy every time.

The TTC is putting untrained drivers on late evening routes. Do you feel safe?

comments

Toronto Transit Authority Believes PWD Shouldn't Ride Buses, Part 1 of an ongoing series

2011-08-16T21:49:01Z

Over 50% of the buses that Don & I have tried to take in Toronto have refused him service because he is disabled.

Of the five bus drivers who have refused us service, only one has followed the protocol that was outlined to us by TTC Customer Service yesterday. Today, a bus driver threatened to trap Don on the bus and force him to wait for the firetruck to come rescue him if I did not stop insisting that he follow TTC protocol in situations regarding broken ramps on buses. That same bus driver was reprimanded by the bus driver that finally accepted us on his bus because apparently the TTC is deliberately putting buses with broken ramps on wheelchair-accessible routes with wheelchair-accessible stickers on the buses and just telling wheelchair users to wait for the next bus. This will obviously allow them to say they have 100% of wheelchair accessible buses on routes when those buses are not wheelchair accessible.

Two bus drivers have not strapped Don's wheelchair into the bus, as they are required to do, and one driver did this improperly. This puts Don's life at risk. Without training, I cannot strap Don into the bus for them. I am not Don's caregiver, and should not be expected to do this work without pay, and while having to pay to be on the bus. When this sort of work is required of me on airlines or trains, I get a free fare.

The TTC has been taken to court at least twice for failing to obey accessibility requirements. I had been under the mistaken impression that being required to pay a huge fine and still have to follow accessibility guidelines would cause TTC to consider that accessibility is something they are required to do. Apparently this is not the case.

Because we were kept waiting for three buses at the last stop we were at, we are unable to call TTC customer service to complain about this situation. Again, we have been in Toronto for two weeks, and have been taking buses together on two days. I do not have the time and energy to call TTC to complain about this every single day that Don and I want to go out. I do not want to have to call TTC customer service every day. But now I am considering getting a cell phone that much sooner just so we can call TTC customer service when these things happen rather than having to wait till tomorrow morning.

I wish I could say I cannot believe this is happening in the bustling metropolis of Toronto, but frankly, I am not. After years of fighting for basic accessibility requirements in Halifax, and foolishly thinking that things would be easier in a busier city with more resources, and a strong disability rights community, I am really really tired of this shit.

comments

trouble @ 2011-07-07T19:00:00

2011-07-07T22:00:14Z

Google is looking specifically for people who are fluent in Sign to test out some features of their new Google+ social network. If people who are fluent in various types of Sign, they are hope you will help them test a video-chat feature called "Hangouts".

They are definitely looking for ASL users. I know a few BSL users have indicated an interest to Google. I didn't notice anyone with AusLan or any other form of signed language.

Please pass along to your relevant d/Deaf & HoH networks!

comments

Apparently people with disabilities belong in the uncanny valley, not on earth

2011-06-01T20:16:07Z

Hey Everyone! Let's play a fun game! Let's play "How much hatred towards people with disabilities can one location support?" A fun and exciting game that leads to wondering how many people sitting in the same room as you wish you would die.

(Exclamation Marks are Sarcasm Indicators.)

This comes from that awesome place to hang out, TV Tropes! Specifically, people with disabilities are being discussed in the "Uncanny Valley" section of "Troper Tales".

(Here is TV Tropes' definition of the Uncanny Valley:

Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori stated in 1970 that the more human a robot acted or looked, the more endearing it would be to a human being. For example, most lovable Robot Buddies look humanoid, but keep quirky and artistically mechanical affectations.

However, at some point, the likeness would seem too strong, and it would just come across as a very strange human being. At this point, the acceptance drops suddenly, changing to a powerful negative reaction.

When shown as a graph (like the one to the right), the acceptance on the Y axis and increasing X approaching human normal, there is a slow rise, then a sudden drop, then a sudden peak as "human normal" is reached. Masahiro Mori referred to this as the "uncanny valley"

)

So, just to make that clear to start with: People with disabilities are being discussed in a section where other people are discussing cars that talk and computer animation. Because they aren't people, see. They're almost people, but not quite. And it's creepy.

This troper has a cousin with severe genetic defects. On the surface, she looks like an ordinary girl of her age. But spend even a minute in her presence, and the defects become apparent. Not only is she unable to stand upright without support and has seizures, but she is mentally retarded to the point that this troper isn't sure if she's truly sentient. She's like an animal in a human body - and yet she is kin.

This troper has a great-aunt who's mentally retarded to the point that she has the mind of a four-year-old... despite being in her late 50's. Every time his family goes to visit her, he can't help but be really, really creeped out.
Two Words: Tear Jerker.

That's why I can't substitute teach in EC, (what used to be called "Special Ed") classes. My empathetic side feels sorry for them, but every other instinct is calling for retreat. The exaggerated cheerfulness of the other teachers in there doesn't help. They pretty much have to do that to register on the kids.

You too? I missed my last possible year to go visit a school in LA filled with the kids who are just too mentally impaired to go to a normal high school. He couldn't help but pity them when they'd come to perform for Christmas, and looking at a friend's field trip form, rule #1 of the trip was "YOU ARE NOT TO PITY THEM". How can I not, the poor souls...

This troper has been stuck in Special Ed, and HATES the overly-cheerful crap. I'm disabled, not stupid!

Aye, this Troper gets very creeped out around mentally disabled people. Not to mention birth defects and other things. *shudders*

I once saw a special on TLC about a girl who doesn't age. She was technically 16 years at the time of shooting, but she had the body of a baby. Here is an article about her. I find it almost too bizarre to comprehend.

This troper goes to a high school with a Special Ed class in it and has to walk by the classroom on her way to lunch as the disabled kids are getting ready to eat too. This troper has to keep her head down at the floor to keep herself from running away. It's not that I'm truly afraid of them (I really do sympathize for disabled people) it's just it frightens me to know that they weren't supposed to be that way, they could have been normal, yet somehow they weren't born right. It frightens me even more if they're mentally retarded as I don't know what to do in situations like that without feeling uncomfortable and scared.

This troper's nephews were burned in a car fire when they were young; their burn scars ranging from just a few here and there to one who bears an uncanny (pun not intended) resemblance to Jacqueline Saburido (both were trapped in their seats when their respective fires happened). I don't feel it's effects since I've seen them at least once a month (and have gotten used to it), but I only noticed this trope applies to him when I overheard a small girl who couldn't be older than eight at a high school football game say "mommy, that kid looks weird" or something to that effect.

Jesus Christ there's a shitload of ableism in this thread.

There's some ableism, yes, but there's also recognition that it's not socially acceptable to treat mentally impaired individuals differently - and yet many people have an irrational part of their brain repeatedly smashing the panic button every time they are around these individuals. This whole trope is about the fact that there is, for many people, an intuitive response of DO NOT WANT to things that seem human-but-not-right, and the fact that it is the exact same response to an extremely lifelike robot or puppet as to a child with, say, down syndrome makes it very clear that this is not society creating a stigma, but a built-in human reaction. (Not to mention, it is depressing to meet all the kids who are functionally retarded and will never be able to live on their own just because Mommy couldn't stay off the crack and booze while she was pregnant.) I learned from substitute teaching that while I handle just fine the high-functioning "special ed." kids who just have learning disorders, I need to stay away from the "sheltered environment" assignments, because I can't effectively hide my body language from the other students in the classroom when a kid who hits my own Uncanny Valley effect approaches me, and I don't want to encourage treating those students as different.

This teenage troper HAD TO LIFEGUARD, for the mentally and physically retarded. While I admit I was not effected by the uncanny valley here, do you know how pathetic it was to watch some of them swim? Half of them were in wheelchairs, and had to scoot around in the wading pool on their butts. Two in particular were really sad cases, both of them in wheelchairs. One was a boy and he was probably around my age, his hands and toes were curled into his body and it didn't seem like he had much ability to control them, although he wasn't flailing or anything, they stuck him in a neck brace (it looked like a life vest, but it didn't go on his torso, he was LITERALLY floating around by his head and neck dragged around by an aid). The other case was similar, although instead of being all curled up, she was flailing around and at times wailing or seeming to be very angry at being in the pool, she did not float around by her neck, and despite her nervous flailing I noticed she had some control over what she did. She seemed to be trying really hard to get away from her aid... Worst of all? I still see some of these kids around the high school, as it was the school pool.

...

This troper Has always had issues with pictures of birth defects. Not so much disfigurements from an accident or something, just anything congenital or genetic. There's just something about humans being born looking inhuman that makes me feel like nature isn't to be trusted, and the world is a really squicky place on a primordial level. I saw a commercial for some Discovery Channel show about The Elephant Man when I was around eight, and... Well, needless to say, I didn't watch Discovery for a while after, and that commercial was literal Accidental Nightmare Fuel for me off and on for years after. Which probably means this is more like Nightmare Valley for me.

This just goes on and on and on. OMG! People with disabilities are inhuman! And if anyone points out how you're describing people in the way you describe dogs, then OMG! You are being mean.

I don't even know how to respond to this shit because what is the point? People actually argue that being repulsed by bodies like Don's, with his caved-in chest and his long spindly fingers and his sunk-in eyes is a normal human reaction to birth defects. They don't think it has anything to do with ableism, with the messages society sends about people with disabilities, about how rarely people actually interact with actual disabled people so they never get used to us, they think it's all perfectly acceptable because people with disabilities are not quite human.

comments

Tell the Italian Government that Sign is a language!

2011-05-23T14:55:36Z

Italy is attempting to declare that Italian Sign Language is a language of "mime & gesture". Foolish Deaf people, thinking they use a language! /sarcasm

[ This video has no audio, in honor of 'No Audio Day' ... ]
[ ... and a good No Audio Day to you! ]

Hello ASL Community!

I usually post my vlogs on the 1st and 15th of each month, but one viewer notified me of something; when I looked into it, I was so disturbed that I just had to let you know about it.

If someone were to tell you that ASL wasn't a true language, that it was all just a bunch of rudimentary miming and gesturing, how would you feel?

Sad to say, that's precisely what's happening here in Italy.

For years now, the Italian signing community, comprised of both Deaf and hearing signers, have been striving to convince their government to recognize their signed language: LIS.

They've submitted a document regarding LIS to the government, which the government is ready to officially recognize *however* they want to replace the acronym 'LIS' with 'LMG', essentially meaning 'Language of Miming and Gesturing'

… 'Miming and Gesturing'???

Hey, I've got an idea: Maybe we should start referring to spoken Italian as 'LMG' - Language of Moans and Grunts!

[ terrible imitation of spoken Italian… but you get the point ]

If you'd like more information, check out the links below. Click on them for more videos and articles on the topic.

Anyway, I didn't make this video simply because I wanted to share this information with you and have that be it.

No, this is a call to ACTION.

These are our Italian brothers and sisters! Though they have a different signed language, they *are* a part of the global signing community, and as such, share our interests.

… but how can we lend our support?

Well, I'm glad you asked. You can do three things.

Here's the first, and most significant way to lend your support:

The Italian signing - LIS - community has set up an online petition; you can show your support by logging on to that petition and signing it. The petition's link is below, the first one listed. Since the petition is in Italian, you may feel a bit lost, unsure of how to fill it out. No worries, simply click here. You'll see a video explaining and demonstrating the process, it's really easy, so simple.

One thing to keep in mind, though: Unless you confirm your email address, your signature is not valid. Some have signed the petition thinking all is well, when in fact, they've missed one step, thereby invalidating their signature!

How so? Click on that there video.

The second way to lend your support? If you have a Facebook account, log in, enter the name of this group, and join 'em. That way you can keep updated on any developments.

The third thing you can do? Tell your friends!

If you're Deaf, tell your Deaf friends.

If you're an ASL teacher, tell your students.

If you're an interpreter, tell your colleagues.

Send an email, tell them in person, forward this vlog, make your own vlog! The important thing is that you get the word out. It doesn't matter if you're Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, hearing, a CODA [Child of Deaf Adults], or a NERDA [Not Even Related to Deaf Adults]… point is, we're all a part of one big community: the global signing community.

As for those who do not understand sign language; we need to *help* them understand.

Sign the petition. Join the Facebook group. Tell your friends.

Sign Power.

Petition Link

FB Page for "LIS: Si - LMG: No"

Another Vlog Explanation in ASL

Another Vlog Explanation in International Sign

Another Vlog Explanation in LIS

Wikipedia Article About LIS

Vlog Explanations in *MANY* Signed Languages

English Language petition at Changes.org

I found out about this via @Deaf on Twitter.

Folks, the Conference of Milan in 1881 basically declared Sign not a language and banned its use in the classroom. Eighteen Eighty One. The people who held the vote were the hearing teachers at Deaf residential schools. Deaf teachers weren't allowed to vote. It's 2011, and people are still refusing to allow Deaf people to define their language and experiences, or to speak for themselves. Many hearing people still act like Sign Languages are just random gestures and mime. It took a hearing man, William Stokoe, writing an academic paper in the 1960s before ASL was believed to be a language in the United States, despite the fact that ASL had been in regular use as a language for decades.

Gestures & Mime? No, this is a language and what we call these things matters.

Crossposted.

comments

Accessibility & Voting

2011-05-02T17:56:28Z

We voted! It was awesome! I love voting.

Our polling station was mostly good for accessibility issues. The door was heavy and didn't have a button, so points down for that, and the signs were difficult to see coming up to them because of the other signs in front.

But the space was wheelchair accessible, no one blinked or made faces or reacted to Don being there, they treated him like he was an adult rather than baby talking to him. (Note: baby talk in Canada is not the same thing as simple language. It's the high sing-song voice and slightly-above-babbling that parents use to their toddlers.) There was enough space for him to get his chair (which is a monster of a chair) behind the polling both for him to vote privately, and they told him openly and happily that if there were any problems they'd be happy to move things around for him. They were proactive and eager to be helpful. It was awesome.

My disappointments were the door, the sign, and that they didn't offer anyone an accessibility form to fill out. If you are looking for one, you can get an accessibility feedback form at the Elections Canada website.

But. All that aside, the voting has been accomplished, and now comes the waiting.

comments

It's Vote Day!

2011-05-02T13:07:44Z

Singing to the tune of "Friday" by Rebbecca Black

Second of May waking up it's vote day
Gotta go vote, gotta find my ID
Gotta read the paper gotta know the issues
Thinking of the future of my country

Traveling on and on by car, busing
gotta get down to the voting spot
Gotta get in line, I see my friends

Voting in the front booth
Voting in the back booths
Gotta make my mind up, which party do I like?
It's vote day! Vote day! Gotta go out and vote today!
Everyone's looking forward to the results, results.
Vote day, vote day, get outside the second of May!
Everybody's looking forward to the results!
Parties and parties and parties and yeah!
Parties and parties and parties and yeah!
Vote vote vote vote looking forward to the election.

Yesterday was the first of May. Today is the second of May.
We be so democratic. So democratic.
We gonna exercise rights today.
Tomorrow is a boring day, because it's not election day.
I just want the results to come!

It's vote day! Vote day! Gotta go out and vote today!
Everyone's looking forward to the results, results
Vote day, vote day, get outside the second of May!
Everybody's looking forward to the results!
Parties and parties and parties and yeah!
Parties and parties and parties and yeah
Vote vote vote vote vote looking forward to the election.

Oh my gosh, I just want the election to be over so the healing can begin.

comments

Links!

2011-04-28T07:52:25Z

Yesterday did not go according to plan, so I've decided not to discuss today's plan in the hopes that this means the imp of the perverse will not hear of it and ruin everything.

marshtide wrote about how archaeologists determine the sex of a skeleton.

zingerella wrote about etiquette rules for visiting Government House, which include reminders not to molest the hat rack.

sid asked about turns of phrase in English that have survived well past the things they refer to, such as "lock stock & barrel".

licht has written Waffle Dos & Don'ts, which a) amuses me far more than perhaps is necessary (Waffles may bring about world peace!) and b) makes me think of bubusquared because of her constant assurance that Belgian Waffles do not come from Belgium. (I assure you, if you don't have a Melle in your life, you are missing out.)

adsartha wrote about migraine triggers.

marina wrote about disability-related issues in Israel, discussing accessibility legislation and universities and the IDF.

shanaqui wrote about Health Anxiety/Hypochondria.

I've really liked pretty much every episode reaction I've read to The Impossible Astronaut. Here is boji's, which I liked a lot.

pipisafoat wrote about shopping for clothing when genderqueer.

I made a post a few days ago inviting people to basically ask me to talk about disability history FOREVER. But it is also open to other people to talk about disability history forever. Please feel free to leave prompts or write responses!

[I have Dreamwidth invites if people would like them.]

comments

Cute Animals for EVERYONE!

2011-04-27T12:30:38Z

I made a post filled with cute animal feeds I follow over on dw_feed_promo.

comments

Links!

2011-04-27T12:20:20Z

pinesandmaples: A Lady in Her Bath [NSFW picture]

440 years ago, this woman let M. Clouet into her personal space to create a memento for the family. Chances are her husband hung this portrait in his study so he could admire his wife and her virtues. And by "virtues", I don't actually mean "boobs." The admiring husband of 1571 would be interested in the fruit of his wife's womb before her bust came into the picture.

berangere posted in archaeology: Legislation : preventive archaeology, which answers "I would really like to learn more about archeology in cities. They're building a new library here and they're letting the archaeologists in to do some work before they start building. What do archaeologists look for, and what's it like with a really short turn around time?" for France & Japan.

raven wrote a Cordelia-centered Vorkosigan fic which I quite liked: Fic:: Walking Away From Omelas [Vorkosigan]. There's so much good Cordelia-centered Vorkosigan fic, I'm beginning to wonder if my issues with the series were more the time & place I read it in.

nanila posted in multibeautiful (a DW community for picspams of beautiful people of colour): Tia Carrera, reminding me that I miss Relic Hunter.

adsartha is writing a series on migraines. Part Two is Migraine Myths.

crankyoldman did a post up about beginning sewing: Sewing and Cosplay Week: Beginner Sewing. I am noting this for later. (via ysabetwordsmith, for all your randomly interesting linking needs.)

I am loving silver_spotted's posts about reading history books. You can see them here.

Today I am feeling that all the energy inside of me cannot possibly be contained by my skin. This is a very uncomfortable feeling. And I am going back to the archives in the hopes that there will be fewer people on the good microfilm machines because I got quite ill yesterday from the bad ones. So many things to look at. I'm trying not to be distracted by the trespassing & the cows.

comments

trouble @ 2011-04-25T21:59:00

2011-04-26T00:59:53Z

I am a little (veeeeerrrrry) drunk so I will make this short.

Oh Internets! Look how much the candidates in Antigonish value accessibility!

Antigonish: Disability-related barriers to Central Nova campaign headquarters

I have photographed campaign offices to see to what extent the entrances to the four Central Nova candidates' Antigonish campaign headquarters accommodate persons with disabilities, via wheelchair ramps, automated doors and elevators.

(Spoilers: None of them pass this accessibility test. The Liberals get part marks.)

Central Nova! Former riding of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (she's moved to B.C.). Current riding of Peter McKay, Conservative Party candidate, Minister of Defense, IIRC. (Home of Emmy's mom. Emmy's mom is awesome.)

I am just sayin'.

<3 Anna

comments

Dear so-called progressives: I hate you

2011-04-20T22:30:01Z

Hey so-called Progressives: Disability is not your fucking punch line and I hate you.

Wherein Wonkette dedicates a whole fucking post to mocking Trig Palin for being "r#tarded", because it's very progressive to mock children with disabilities! Seriously, it's a disgusting article. Read this description at adage instead.

(Oh, but see, they're mocking SARAH PALIN for "using her son as a political prop". Which is why they put up a post that implies that Trig is the product of incest between his father and sister, say that children with intellectual disabilities don't dream, and implied that he was born disabled because his mother drank while she was pregnant. Not, you know, just saying "This shit where Palin uses her son as a political prop is wrong." No no, they're mocking her by making him - and all children with disabilities by extension - the butt of the joke. Ha ha ha ha. ha ha. So creative. Gosh, those progressive sure are on the side of people with disabilities, right?)

And, of course:
Lady Gaga Calls Madonna Plagiarism charges r#tarded.

GOSH I'M SO GLAD THAT I HAVE PROGRESSIVES ON MY SIDE. It's been mere hours since I was last told that ableism wasn't a real thing because people with disabilities are treated with "kid gloves".

comments

FONSFAQ: Disability History

2011-04-20T21:11:12Z

A bunch of awesome people I know are doing Three Weeks for Dreamwidth where they are accepting prompts and will write answers to questions about their topics. This started with dingsi. There is a master list!

(FONSFAQ: Frequently (Or Not So Frequently) Asked Question)

I thought I would love to be asked (and answer) questions about disability history! Because I love it like ice cream.

(In fact, you'd be doing me a huge favour by asking these questions. Don & I are playing around with an idea about a disability history related podcast this summer, and having some idea what people might be interested in knowing would be helpful.)

Things I do not know the answers to easily, I will happily research.

Please leave prompts! Preferred style would be PROMPT in the subject heading of the comment, but don't fret the details. Also, please feel free to signal boost this, as I would love an excuse to talk about my interests with everyone in the world. All the time. (Also, feel free to leave multiple prompts.)

check out Dingsi's prompt page for more ideas.

ETA: I forgot to tell people that they are welcome to claim and write about any of these! Please don't take my comments as claiming them for just me. It's a huge field, and I would love to see other people's responses. :D

comments