Jul 26, 2020 | Ableism, ADA, Advocacy, communication, compassion, negative perceptions |
Today I, along with all my brothers and sisters with disabilities in this country, have a reason to celebrate. Thirty years ago today, on July 26th, 1990, George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. As he was doing so, he said: “Let...
Apr 16, 2018 | caregivers, communication, Disabilitiy, Dogs, service dogs |
I first heard of the concept from my mom, who was raised in Ireland as a young girl. She told me that when people there were hiring a new housekeeper to clean their home, one of the things they would do was put a broom in the doorway. It was kind of a test. If a...
Mar 14, 2018 | Ableism, cerebral palsy, Christopher Reeve, communication, Disabilitiy, disability etiquette, empowering language |
I first heard about person first language when I was in graduate school. The concept was familiar to me long before that. The idea that it was much more respectful to refer to “the woman who was blind” rather than “the blind woman” just...
Oct 16, 2017 | Ableism, boundaries, caregivers, cerebral palsy, communication, Deaf, Disabilitiy, Helping people with disabilities, What some people don't think about |
There is a beautiful movement on Facebook and Twitter right now and it seems to have gained momentum in the last few days. Women are being encouraged to post the phrase “Me Too” as a status on their wall if they have ever been sexually abused or harassed in any way....
Nov 22, 2016 | communication, Disabilitiy, Dogs, Get To Know Me |
I’ve always liked the concept behind nicknames. That certain people call you names different than you were given at birth, out of love and affection. I’ve had plenty over the years. Some are embarrassing from when I was small. Nope, not even going there. They are...
May 5, 2016 | communication, Disability and Relationships, Get To Know Me, Mental Illness, overcoming challenges, Psychiatric Diagnosis, Starting Over |
It’s a complicated issue. Stay with me. I have made no secret on this blog about the fact that I have a psychiatric disability as well as a physical one, and I am willing to talk about it as much as I can because I get really tired of the stigma around mental...
