This is another of those disability songs that isn’t really a disability song, but it feels like one to me.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Light Posting Day ...
I’m working on the podcast today. Expect a mini-episode to come out sometime tomorrow. It will be posted here, and you can also subscribe in iTunes.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The George Takei "Controversy": My Two Cents
Mommy Misadventures - August 4, 2014
Living With Bob (Dysautonomia) - March 12, 2014
That Crazy Crippled Chick - December 23, 2013
George Takei posted this on his Facebook page and on Twitter. He didn’t create it … it’s been floating around since at least last Fall. He thought it was pretty funny I guess, and added a little quip of his own that kind of doubled down on the joke.
Lots of people criticized the joke, because it depends on factual misconceptions about disabled people. Just to pick one … lots of people who use wheelchairs to get around can, actually, stand or walk a bit when they need to. Okay, one more … disabled people can enjoy an adult beverage, too, and there’s nothing surprising or disreputable about it.
Instead of just apologizing or maybe saying something like, “Hey, wow. I didn’t think of it that way. Sorry about that. And thanks for letting me know!”, Mr, Takei, who is at this point almost as famous as an advocate for progressive causes and battling homophobia as he is for having played Sulu on Star Trek, resisted calls to take it down, saying that critics should take their comments “down a notch”. He also claimed that since the joke does have multiple sides and interpretations, it would spark valuable discussion.
Well, maybe. But when he posted it, Takei wasn't spurring discussion, he was making a cute joke.
It's far from the worst example of ableism, so I don’t have much to add.
Ah, who am I kidding …?
I am more bummed out by Takei’s response to the criticism than I am by the joke picture itself. Don’t get me wrong, the joke is entirely dependent on serious and common misconceptions about disability … misconceptions that make life a little more painful for those of us with physical disabilities. Non-disabled people may find it hard to imagine why this simple stereotype would actually be painful. I’ll explain it, from personal experience.
When I was in college I used an electric scooter to get around campus. It was too small a place for driving, but too big for me to walk. So the scooter was the key to my ability to attend college and do all the college things. Yet, more times than I can count, I would worry a bit in the back of my mind whenever I stepped off the scooter, because it felt like people would see that and, if they didn’t know me, judge me as lazy or faking it or something.
Also, I went for years without using “handicapped” parking spaces because I was afraid of what people would think when I got out of my car and walked into a store. I use a permit now, but I still feel weird and embarrassed when I catch someone looking at me for an extra few moments as I leave my car on foot. I feel like I have to explain myself, which would just be weird, so I don’t. Instead I just have a moment of anxiety. Which isn't horrible or anything, but it's something I don’t need. I don’t think anyone needs more shame, embarrassment, or anxiety in their lives.
Add to this the fairly common (though never discussed in polite company) sub-stereotype that certain disabled people are also personally messed up and dysfunctional, with screwed up priorities that lead them to waste money on booze, when they should be trying harder to be healthy.
So, the joke isn’t grossly offensive, but it isn’t okay and it deserves criticism. My take can be summed up as: “Dude, not cool."
Takei’s response is more upsetting because it is something of a pattern … not with Mr. Takei particularly, but with lots of people who are generally progressive and care about oppressed and marginalized people. It seems that people Takei have well-tuned radar for every form of prejudice there is, except ableism. They probably know what ableism is, but they don’t recognize it when it bites them in the proverbial ass … or comes out of their literal mouths. And, when they are called out for it, their first reaction is the kind of defensiveness they would normally criticize in others for different prejudices.
I think it’s because they can’t conceive of the possibility that they, themselves, might harbor unexamined prejudice. Prejudice is for ignorant people and right-wingers, after all. Right? So, against their better judgment and contrary to their usual beliefs about giving offense and apologizing, they defend themselves with the same kind of self-justifying, bogus free speech, creativity, nonconformity crap that others use to defend rape jokes and stale ethnic humor.
I am finally coming to realize that one of the many features of with living with a disability and being awake to ableism is being disappointed by people we greatly admire for their other, more progressive views, but who seem to view ableism as no big deal.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Subscribe In iTunes
You can now subscribe to the Disability.TV Podcast using iTunes! Just click the link here and do what iTunes tells you. I will continue to post individual episodes here on the blog, but if you subscribe, you’ll get all of the episodes automatically, as soon as they come out.
I would also really appreciate listeners leaving iTunes reviews of the podcast. Do me a favor though … wait for a few more episodes before rating the podcast. Give me a chance to find the right voice.
Expect a mini-episode on Friday, August 8th, and a full episode on Friday the 15th on the classic NBC show “Ironside”.
Disability And The Military
Press Release - July 30, 2014
Via @SFdirewolf.
I read an article last year about a young Israeli man with Cerebral Palsy who, though his own self-advocacy, was permitted to serve as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. In Israel, military service is compulsory for all but a few very specific groups, including people with significant disabilities. This young man may or may not have started a trend towards broader acceptance of disabled people into the Israeli military, but he certainly demonstrated what should be obvious … that in the modern military, there are plenty of duties that don’t require physical fitness, that disabled people are perfectly qualified to do.
That’s one reason why news of this House Bill caught my eye. Another is remembering a few months in my senior year in high school when I got some phone calls from branches of the military asking if I was interested in enlisting and pursuing certain career paths, based on my test scores. I had no desire to serve in the military, but it rankles just a little bit that the joke then was what a “mistake” they made, not realizing I was disabled.
And yet, I’m not sure exactly what the rules are in the U.S. military regarding disability and active service. As I also mentioned this Memorial Day, British fighter pilot Douglas Bader lost both legs before WWII. Initially, he was refused re-enlistment in the Royal Air Force, due to his disability, even though he had worked out adaptive techniques so he could fly again. Later, after start of the war and in the middle of the Blitz, he was allowed to re-enlist and fly as an active combat pilot.
Is there a difference between how the U.S. military regards serving with a disability acquired after passing Basic Training, and pre-existing disability? Can a soldier continue to service in some capacity after the onset of a disability?
If the military allows some service after a disability, how do they decide who can and who must be discharged? How much depends on the nature of the disability and how much on the nature of the work? Do they only allow non-combat work?
Any feedback from people more familiar with military rules and procedures would be greatly appreciated.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Binge Watch: Classic Ironside
I’m getting ready for my re-watch of the original Ironside TV series, starring Raymomd Burr, for the first TV show review of the Disability.TV Podcast. I plan on uploading my discussion of Ironside on Friday, August 15. If you haven’t done already, you can listen to and download the introductory episode of Disability.TV here:
Hulu.com has 3 seasons worth of the original Ironside available for streaming. Back in 1991 when I was working on my Master’s Thesis about disability in movies and TV, I had to go to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to watch old “Ironside” episodes. That was a fun week, but watching here on my couch is a lot easier.
Here's a review of the original Ironside I posted in April, 2013.
On A 3 x 5 Card
Lydia Brown, Disability Rights Advocate
I am not an autism expert, but these disclosure cards seem very useful. They also provide a glimpse into what autism is and how it is experienced.
Communication and handling social situations isn’t usually a problem for me, but what if I couldn’t communicate because of an injury or severe illness? How would I explain my physical condition? Would police, EMTs, doctors or nurses know why I have a tracheostomy, and that I need oxygen and ventilation when I sleep?
If you have a disability, what would you put on your “Emergency Disclosure Card”?
What about non-emergencies? If you had to explain your disability and related practical needs on a 3 x 5 card, what would you say?
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Disability Podcasts
Since I’ve got podcasting on the brain these days, I thought I would take inventory of the disability-related podcasts I listen to. There are really only three I listen to regularly. It amazes me a bit how few active podcasts there are by people with disabilities, on disability topics. True, podcasting requires more equipment and technical skill than blogging. However, it’s a lot easier now to develop your own podcast than it was just two or three years ago. These are the three I follow at the moment:
BBC hosts Rob Crossan and Kate Monaghan both have disabilities. Each of their “Ouch!” shows covers a couple of disability topics and disabled people in depth, usually with interviews. They also run through shorter disability news stories, with the help of topical “correspondents” … ordinary disabled people who listen to the show, and call in with brief bits on topics that particularly interest them. This makes “Ouch!” an impressive combination of professional radio and grassroots podcasting. Rob and Kate have a lovely, hilarious chemistry together, which helps keep the show from falling into sentimentality. Most of the content is centered on the UK, but they occasionally talk about disability trends in other countries, including the United States.
Cheryl Green interviews disabled writers and thinkers who contributed essays to her disability culture anthology, “Criptiques”. This is an occasional podcast that’s only had three interviews so far, but each of them was amazing. Cheryl is a terrific interviewer, with a great sense of humor. I get really excited when I see a new interview has been posted.
I just started listening to this one, another podcast by Cheryl Green. I’m pretty convinced it will become part of my regular lineup, because I love Cheryl’s interviews, the topics align with things that interest me most, and because it’s in iTunes, so I’ll get new episodes automatically.
I just did an iTunes search, to see if I am missing anything new. I found a few podcasts that have been inactive for months or years, and a few on side topics only slightly related to what I’m looking for, but nothing I’m likely to add to my podcast-listening routine. I would love to hear about any new disability-related podcasts. I need more good stuff to listen to, and most of all, I need disability podcasting role models to help me develop Disability.TV.
***
Correction:
As you will see from Cheryl Green's comment below, I confused her with Catilin Wood. Caitlin is the author of Criptiques, and produces the Criptiques Podcast. Cheryl Green does the Stories From The Brainreels podcast. My apologizes to both Cheryl and Caitlin!
***
Correction:
As you will see from Cheryl Green's comment below, I confused her with Catilin Wood. Caitlin is the author of Criptiques, and produces the Criptiques Podcast. Cheryl Green does the Stories From The Brainreels podcast. My apologizes to both Cheryl and Caitlin!
Weekly Wrap-Up
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Disability.TV Podcast - Ep. 1, Introduction
Here it is, at long last … my first podcast episode!
This introductory episode is different than most of the regular episodes will be. For one thing, I plan on making each episode a more casual, less scripted discussion. And, as I mention in this introduction, I hope several episodes will include guests, so we can have real conversations. This first episode lays out my plans for the podcast, and starts to explore some of the themes and ideas I hope to talk about.
As promised in the episode, I have pasted a tentative schedule of TV shows and characters I plan to discuss below. Please do send feedback, on the podcasts themselves, and on episodes and topics to come. Most importantly, if you have a favorite disabled character or show … or least favorite … and would like to co-host a discussion about it with me, let me know.
One other technical note … In the podcast I mention using SoundCloud. I had some trouble with it, so for now I have switched to a different hosting service, Podbean. I still plan on submitting to iTunes for easy subscribing.
Disability.TV - Tentative Schedule
August 15 - Ironside (Original Series)
Disability.TV - Tentative Schedule
August 15 - Ironside (Original Series)
August 29 - Ironside (New Series)
September 5 - Friday Night Lights
September 19 - Game Of Thrones - Tyrion Lannister
October 3 - Game Of Thrones - Jaimie Lannister, Bran Stark, and Others
October 17 - Glee
October 31 - My Gimpy Life
November 14 - Big Bang Theory
November 28 - Parenthood
December 12 - Sherlock
December 26 - Red Band Society (New Fall Series)
January 9 - Breaking Bad
January 23 - Star Trek - The Menagerie 1 & 2
February 6 - Star Trek: The Next Heneration - Ethics
February 20 - Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - Melora
March 6 - American Horror Story
March 20 - ER - Dr. Kerry Weaver
April 3 - ER - Mental Illness on ER
April 17 - Downton Abbey
May 1 - The West Wing - President Josiah Bartlett
May 15 - The West Wing - Joey Lucas
May 29 - Life Goes On
June 5 - I, Claudius
Buy It: "The Man He Became"
This book is great history and biography. At the same time it offers scores of insights into what it is like to experience new disability, both the pain and fear of the conditions themselves, and the social dimensions that become even more important. I found my admiration for Franklin Roosevelt deepen and take unique shape after reading this book.
Earlier this year, I wrote a three-part review which you can read at the links below:
Acting!
Christopher Shinn, The Atlantic - July 23, 2014
I’m not too bothered by non-disabled actors in disabled roles. By which I mean that seeing non-disabled actors play disabled roles doesn't spoil the experience for me, as long as they do it well. What matters most to me is whether portrayals are believable, and that depends mostly on writing and acting talent.
This article describes an interesting idea ... that audiences prefer seeing non-disabled actors in disability roles because it sort of protects them from seeing too much of a feared reality. I don’t think I quite buy it, though. I feel like most audiences are pretty game for raw authenticity, including seeing real disabled people playing disabled characters in TV, movies, and plays. If anything, I suspect it’s writers and directors who maybe fear the reality check their work will be subjected to by disabled actors.
"What if a real paraplegic tells me that my writing of the paraplegic character is crap? What if they notice that I only know, like, three story ideas for disabled characters?”
1. Bitter cripple drives away the people who love him.
2. Inspiring cripple teaches selfish non-cripple a valuable lesson about gratitude.
3. Cripple takes a chance on an experimental treatment and is cured.
On the other hand, I sometimes worry that casting disabled actors in disability roles can become too much of a “trick” in itself, when understood and promoted in a sensationalistic way. Not that disabled actors might do a poor job of it ... most disabled actors I’ve seen who have made it into mainstream productions are terrific ... but that viewers will pay more attention to the “wow factor” of casting a disabled person, than to the quality of their performance.
Of course, once you consider how most people feel today about white actors portraying African-American characters ... or a male actor playing a woman ... it's hard to escape the idea that it's pretty outrageous that most disabled characters are played by non-disabled actors. Here's a great article from that point of view at the RogerEbert.com website.
I’m sure a lot of these issues will come up, as I get into my Disability.TV podcast.
Friday, August 1, 2014
The New Symbol
I approve of the new wheelchair symbol design, though I hope everyone gives it a chance to replace the old one gradually naturally, before making some big expensive push for it. It’s possible that non-disabled people … including people who own and arrange parking lots … will embrace the new symbol with some enthusiasm, just because it looks so great.
From the Disability History Tumblr blog, via Licking The Road.
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