When I set up this LJ comm about 'portrayals of disability' I was thinking of films, books and so on. Those topics are interesting to discuss but it's become clear that how we 'portray' ourselves is interesting too ( Read more... )

Our discussion about today's Writer's Block question reminded me of this classic Motown song. Once, I was playing a Motown compilation when my guest exclaimed that this song was 'sick' and fast-forwarded past it. Phe worked as a carer for a blind person ( Read more... )

What do you call your disability? Rude words, often, of course. But more seriously I'm unsure whether or not I should use terms like 'an autistic' or 'a diabetic'. I tend to be cautious, and say things like 'a person who has autism', because I know that I wouldn't be very impressed if somebody called me 'a multiple sclerotic'. But perhaps it's just ( Read more... )

A post on somebody's LJ got me thinking about how much we crips do, and don't, announce our disabilities. How this varies between contexts and how it varies between disabilities ( Read more... )