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Especially good reasons to not say “special needs”
Listen to this post: I’m gonna come right out and say it: I don’t like euphemisms. I love the words “can’t,” “hate,” and “no.” I’m a fan of throwing my hands over my ears and yelping, “I’m done! It’s loud!” and running out of the room as opposed to mulling about in painful noise and…
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Wait, disability model what?
Listen to this post: In the past few years I’ve encountered some discussions of disability models that feel weird. It usually takes some form kind of like this: Person 1: In the medical model, a disability is defined by the impairments and limitations a disabled person has. In the social model, society disables people, not their impairments.…
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Don’t Ask Disabled People These Questions: Video
Listen to this post: Ever the critic that I am, I’m going to post a video here that I really enjoyed watching but start you off with critiques of it. BBC Three in the UK produced a lovely, short video called “Stupid Questions Not to Ask a Disabled Person.” The premise is wonderful. I love all…
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Gimplecapped and other normal things
Listen to this post: PC language. Sigh. For those of you who haven’t yet asked me, I do not like PC language. Even the term bothers me because it has “correct” in it. We’re talking about people and communities, cultures and histories, oppression and identity. Please don’t say there is any one way to be,…
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Social model of disability for brain injury
Listen to this post: I’ve read a lot about the social model of disability. In a nutshell, it’s an idea that disabilities are not weaknesses or faults caused by a person’s impairment. You might have an impairment, sure. The disability comes from the ways society is not built and run to have you participate in…