3 Weekly Disability Reads

Every Sunday I will be posting links to three things about disability that I read, heard, or viewed over the previous week, with some notes of my own added.

Week of November 29 to December 6, 2020:

1. If You Are Going to Talk About Neurodiversity, Get It Right
EJ Willingham, Divergent by EJ Willingham - December 4, 2020

It’s good to see the most common arguments against “neurodiversity” dealt with in detail, instead of just being condemned. I’m also on the lookout for good explorations of the other ways that parents of kids with disabilities end up ignoring or opposing disabled adults. It’s not just about different understandings of autism, although that’s probably where the conflict is most intense. There are other things going on in parents’ minds and emotions ... and in disabled adults’ minds and emotions too … about all kinds of disabilities and disability issues. Since we should be tighter allies than we are, it’s a problem well worth deep thought and discussion.

2. Dongle Or No Dongle?
Tourettes Hero - November 1, 2020

This is a particularly effective exploration of what advocate Liz Jackson calls “Disability Dongles” ... i.e. cool looking gadgets that are supposed to help disabled people but really don’t. This article in particular provides some essential advice for anyone with an idea for a new disability device or product. It mostly boils down to making sure actual disabled people are involved. It’s no guarantee, but it’s a good rule of thumb for any disability venture.

3. The Crown's learning disability storyline highlights painful lack of progress
Nicola Clark, The Guardian - November 26, 2020

I thought knew a lot about the Windsors, but in this season of Netflix’s “The Crown,” I was frankly astonished to see the story of several members of the Royal Family’s in-laws, (the Bowes-Lyons), who were intellectually / developmentally disabled – or as they are termed in the UK, “learning disabled.” Here I think it’s actually kind of an advantage that “The Crown” is understood to be somewhat to very factionalized. Whether or not anyone in the Royal Family was ever actually shocked and appalled by Nerissa and Katherine being stuck in squalid institutions for their entire lives, as they apparently really were, it’s helpful to witness the Princess Margaret “character” being so outraged about it. What hit me hardest and in the best way was when Margaret’s mother, Queen Mary said, “It’s complicated,” and Margaret replied, “No, it’s not! It’s wicked, and it’s cold-hearted, and it’s cruel!” To me, this is the answer to every rationalization of outdated or inhumane approaches to disability policy and services. People are always saying, “It’s complicated,” and we keep saying, “No, it’s not!”