Accessible Adventures in TTRPGs with Sara Thompson
Movies. TV shows. Holiday commercials, even. For the first time in history, the integration of disabled bodies in popular culture is more pronounced than ever. And what better place to add in disabled representation than in fantasy TTRPGs, where anything can happen? This is what designer Sara Thompson (she/they) sought to do with their design of […]
Sia Dismisses Backlash Over New Film, Proving Again As to Why Misrepre sentation of Disabled People Is So Harmful
Once again, disabled people face being portrayed inaccurately in a movie by an abled actor. Sia, an Australian singer-songwriter, is directing a movie titled Music, about a woman who must care for her nonverbal autistic half-sister with the help of their neighbor. The trailer was released on November 19th and was the target of a […]
Trump & The Racehorse Theory: A Brief History of American Eugenics
On September 18, President Donald Trump held a rally in Bemidji, Minnesota during which he voiced support for eugenics, saying: “You have good genes, you know that, right? You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don’t you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we’re so different? You have […]
Thoughts on Biden’s Stutter From a Stutterer
Watching a presidential candidate open up about stuttering has made me think of my own speech dysfluency and how I feel about it. Even though I am a disability advocate, I seldom discuss my stutter. My stutter doesn’t feel like other aspects of my disability. Stuttering and communication disorders feel taboo even in disability spaces. […]
Mental Health Resources Don’t Stop at the Suicide Hotline; Our Advocacy Shouldn’t Either
Chances are, if you’ve seen any of the suicide prevention awareness efforts of mental health advocates, you’ve heard about suicide hotlines. Suicide hotlines are one of the most prominent and visible outreach methods for preventing suicide. Their numbers are frequently shared by celebrities, schools, doctors offices, politicians, and companies. A song with the number of […]
Clean on Appearance
27/08/2019 10am – 2pm: “Support worker arrived at 10am and was greeted by the consumer. They introduced themselves and the consumer showed the support worker around. Consumer was eating breakfast so SW (support worker) sat and chatted. Afterwards the consumer showed the SW what chores he will need help with such as washing as the […]
Shouldn’t the United States Stand for Disabled People Instead?
Back in 2016 after the general election my school held a meeting hosted by the president of the university. I attended, filled with vast emotions, mostly grief and despair, and I was not the only one. My school held the meeting because faculty knew that there were many mixed feelings following the unexpected […]
My Disability is Not Your Costume
Halloween is just around the corner, and despite the CoronaVirus pandemic, many people are still planning their costumes for a variety of activities. Personally, I’ve never been much for the Halloween festivities anyway. Growing up as a wheelchair user, it just wasn’t accessible. Still, I love a good costume as much as the next person. […]
The Cripped-Up Horror of Halloween Movies
What do Split, Phantom of the Opera, A Quiet Place, and Bird Box have in common? All four movies utilize disability as a means to create thrill and horror. But do they all do disability justice? CW: This article contains descriptions of murder, gore, trauma, and suicide within dramatic film. Split (2016) is a horror movie featuring a villain […]
Asylum or Ableism? Halloween’s Glamorization of Mental Illness
During the 1960s, people with mental illness were reintegrated into society, following mass deinstitutionalization efforts of the United States government, rendering state-funded mental hospitals outdated. Many of these buildings were repurposed as “haunted houses”, with heart-stopping tours and actors dressed in hospital gowns smeared with blood. Hundreds of people flock to these attractions every fall, […]