Disability Arts

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Black icon of a movie camera
Cheryl Green, disability activist, artist, and co-host on my Disability.TV podcast about Glee, asked me to help spread the word about a new independent film called Becoming Bulletproof. It is a film in which disabled people participated at all levels of production, including playing most of the key acting roles. It has already won some film festival awards, and based on what I see in the trailer, it looks like a really, really good film. Click here to find out where you can see “Becoming Bulletproof."

It’s a bit of a departure for me to feel excited about a disability arts project. I’ve never been interested in disability arts. There are several reasons for this.

For one thing, I have an aversion to programs of any kind that are just for disabled people. Disability arts programs tend to look at first glance like segregated therapeutic programs that just happen to use art as their hook, rather than arts programs per se. It’s much more complicated than that, but I’m only just starting to realize it.

Also, I’m usually not fond of art that has some obvious external purpose. For instance, I don’t like highly politicized art. I am all for art that deals with political and social issues, but I prefer it to be subtle, natural, not driven into my head with a sledgehammer. When disability art isn’t explicitly therapeutic, it tends instead to attempt some very heavy ideological lifting.

Finally, I’ve always been skeptical of amateur and DIY art. I am sure there are great poets to be found at poetry readings, and I’ve seen a few performance artists who really impressed me, but I cringe at the thought of attending those kinds of events, because I guess I don’t have the patience to sit through something mediocre or ragged.

(By the way, I am painfully aware of the hypocrisy of an amateur blogger and podcaster disdaining amateur art).

This is where my internalized ableism comes in. I am ashamed to say that in the past at least, I have tended to equate “disability arts” with low-quality art … as if arts programs for disabled people necessarily produce bad art, uplifting for the artist perhaps, but not interesting to most audiences, including me. Put another way, I have assumed over the years that experiencing disability art is about doing some thing nice for the artists.

That’s why I am so excited by “Becoming Bulletproof.” Although it is integrated, with both disabled and non-disabled people involved, it does have a disability-related mission aside from art. Yet, it looks like everyone involved worked really hard to do everything really well, to entertain audiences, not just to satisfy themselves or have a meaningful experience. Whatever else the film accomplishes, it looks like it is a good, fun, well-made film … full stop. When I watch this film, it will be because I want to see it, not to support some kind of cause.

I can’t wait to see the whole movie, and I think it’s obviously long past time for me to explore disability arts with a more open mind.

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Brainstorming

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Photo of a stack of crumpled up balls of different colored paper, each ball labeled "IDEA"
I keep a running list of potential blogging topics. At least once a week, I go through and add new topics, and erase or rewrite topics I’ve changed my mind about. Here is what’s on my topic list today:
  • Disability policy questions for election candidates.
  • Tips for being a disability advocate without being an asshole.
  • How I really feel about my disabilities.
  • A preference for passion or policy?
  • The difference between advocacy and activism.
  • Notes for people who think ableism isn't a problem.
  • My take on "Political Correctness."
  • Which is worse, opposition or ignorance?
  • Discredited ideas about disability.
  • Intentions don't matter, except that they sort of do.
  • How disability issues differ from other kinds of policy issues.
  • Exploring pessimism and optimism in disability culture.
  • "Educating" people is a profession and a calling, not an obligation.
  • Is there a "Disability Agenda?"
  • Exploring the different neighborhoods within the “disability community."
  • Inspirational disability stories that don't make me want to throw up.
  • I wish I could talk to my parents about how they dealt with my disabilities.
  • Checking my privilege, disability edition.
  • The disability version of “respectability politics."
  • My take on “Intersectionality."
  • The evolving arguments for disability rights.
  • My most embarrassing disability-related moment.
  • What do disabled people fear most?
What should I write about over the next few weeks? I would also like to learn about how other disability bloggers decide what to write. Please add your thoughts below!

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Throwback Thursday

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Illustration of the time machine from the film "Time Machine"
A year ago in Disability Thinking: Normal People Sick. I guess I wasn’t feeling well. Also, “God damn these vampires."

I don’t know where or when I first ran across the phrase, “Normal People Sick.” I suspect it was on Tumblr, but I’m not sure. I do know that when I first read “Normal People Sick” I identified with it immediately. It’s a useful expression for disabled people. We need a way to distinguish between health problems that are an everyday component of our disabilities … like chronic pain … and the kinds of illnesses everyone gets … like colds and flu. The distinction doesn’t always mean much in practical terms, but I like how it helps reinforce the fact that disabilities are not illnesses, and that being sick is a very different experience from being disabled.

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Dueling Dualisms

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Black and white yin yang symbol
It seems like 90% of disability blogging is about a few fundamental questions:

1. Is disability mainly a disadvantage to overcome, or a social identity to embrace and explore?

2. Which is more important, making better disability policy, or increasing awareness and acceptance?

3. Should we try to be as open and understanding as possible with non-disabled people, or should we draw and reinforce strict social boundaries to protect ourselves?

Most disability blogging either poses versions of these questions or asserts answers to them. What other basic either / or questions make up the current disability conversation?

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Weekly Reading List

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Picture of a multi-colored stack of books
This time, it's a selection from several weeks worth of disability reading ... quite a lot about the work, and the meaning of "disabled."

This Outnumbered Mama - August 14, 2015

A parent of an autistic child wrestles with the word "disabled." It's well-covered territory for the disability activist community, yet even we still struggle with what to call ourselves and how to respond to how other people call us, and think we should call ourselves. She says it "hurts her heart." It hurts my head.

Ann Carrns, New York Times - August 28, 2015

This is a pretty good update on what's happening with the ABLE Act. It still burns that the law doesn't do anything for people who became disabled in adulthood. For better or for worse, the law's most active support and motivation came from Developmental Disability groups and "special needs parents," so maybe it's not so surprising that the law turned out as it did. On the other hand, I appreciate the Times giving prominence to the idea of disabled people opening ABLE Accounts for themselves, which has tended in the past to be mentioned as an afterthought, if not forgotten altogether.

Jason Russell, Washington Examiner - August 11, 2015

I have said before that the debate shaping up over Social Security Disability gives me the willies, because the program needs to be both reformed and defended. I like some of the ideas here, particularly the idea that "disabled" for employment purposes shouldn't be a disabled / not disabled binary. But I am suspicious about anything published in a heavily right-wing paper like the Examiner. Ideological crossover appeal can be productive, but it's also extremely risky.

Smart Ass Cripple - August 10, 2015

As usual, Smart Ass Cripple gets right to the point about the strangeness of equating disability with inability to work. It's not just a strange, outdated idea, it also puts disabled people and disability advocates in a strange position. We think most of us can work, but we also think most of us need extra support, including in many cases financial support, even when we do work. Sen. Rand Paul thinks more of us should be working, and I agree. But there aren't many members of Congress lining up to give us more Disability money after we are fortunate enough to get a job.

Rajeev Syal, The Guardian - August 23, 2015

I think it's essential to follow what's been happening in the UK, which is going through it's own round of efforts to "reform" disability benefits. This headline says it all, and might be a warning for us here in the US. There is a huge difference between clearing a path for disabled people who want to work, and forcing disabled people to work who may not be ready, or have suitable employment available to them. The thing is, it's relatively easy to do the second thing while promising you are only doing the first.

Amelia Thomson Deveaux, FiveThirtyEight.com - August 24, 2015

We need more coverage like this on disability issues by the new breed of "data" and "explainer" journalism ... outlets like FiveThirtyEight.com, Vox.com, and the Washington Post's Wonkblog. Deveaux does a pretty good job here of covering the main theories for why disability employment remains so low. I also agree with one of the articles' conclusions, that the ADA was never going to make a major impact on the employment rate, no matter what lawmakers and us activists said at the time. It's helped a lot of individuals deal with discrimination and lack of simple accommodations, but we'll probably have to look elsewhere for ways to really move the needle.

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Disability Blogger Link-Up

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Word cloud around the word

How about an end of summer Disability Blogger Link-Up? Share a disability-related blog post or article here, any time between Friday, August 28 and Midnight Sunday, August 30, 2015. And of course, read what others have posted.

Technical note:

To make the links easier to browse, in the “Your name” blank, type the title of the article. In the "Your URL" blank, paste the address of the item you are posting.

Then click the "Enter" button. That's it!

Have fun posting and reading! This Link-Up will close

at Midnight Eastern on Sunday

. Look for the next regular Disability Blogger Link-Up Friday, September 11, 2015.

Death Throes

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Picturer of a laptop computer with smoke rising from it
My MacBook Air is dying, fast and ugly.

On Friday, between Tweets about the Disability Blogger Link-Up, I did some comparison shopping and decided to order a new 21.5 inch screen iMac. I think it’s been over 15 years since I bought myself a desktop computer. While I am annoyed at the inconvenience, and a little anxious because I hadn’t planned on a big purchase like this, I am excited to switch to a different kind of computer, with a much bigger screen and a lot more storage.

Until the iMac arrives later this week, I still have my iPad Mini to work with. Unfortunately, it’s cumbersome for blogging, and podcasting work is out of the question. So, it’s going to be a very think week here at Disability Thinking. I will aim to get back to a regular posting schedule next Monday, and finish Part Two of my Disability.TV podcast on Seinfeld by then.

Meanwhile, feel free to browse the Archives (over on the right, scroll down), and the past Disability Blogger Link-Ups.

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Disability Blogger Link-Up

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The word Blog surrounded by word cloud

Time once again for a Disability Blogger Link-Up! As always, you can post anything you like, as long as its related to disability.

Technical note:

To make the links easier to browse, in the “Your name” blank, type the title of the article. In the "Your URL" blank, paste the address of the item you are posting.

Then click the "Enter" button. That's it!

Have fun posting and reading! This Link-Up will close

at Midnight Eastern on Sunday

. Look for the next regular Disability Blogger Link-Up Friday, August 28, 2015.

Checking My Privilege

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Illustration of a black button with "got privilege?" in white letters
Several weeks ago, fellow disability blogger and Facebook friend Dominick Evans posted his answers to a checklist on privilege. The idea is that you start out “standing” at the midpoint on a scale of social and economic privilege, then take steps forward, backward, or stand still, according to your answer to each question. The questionnaire isn’t designed specifically for disabled people, but I think it produces a fairly accurate, honest picture of relative privilege.

Here are my answers. As you will see, my disabilities subtract fairly little from an overall surplus of privilege. For what it’s worth, my score feels more or less correct to me.

1. If your parents worked nights and weekends to support your family, take one step back.

     No. Stay.

2. If you are able to move through the world without fear of sexual assault, take one step forward.

     I’m not sure my confidence is justified, but I don’t think about it, so Yes. Step Forward.

3. If you can show affection for your romantic partner in public without fear of ridicule or violence, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

4. If you have ever been diagnosed as having a physical or mental illness/disability, take one step back.

     Yes. Step Backwards.

5. If the primary language spoken in your household growing up was not English, take one step back.

     No. Stay.

6. If you came from a supportive family environment take one step forward.

Yes. Step Forward.

7. If you have ever tried to change your speech or mannerisms to gain credibility, take one step back.

     Maybe a little bit, due to disability, but on balance I would say No, I have never really felt a need to adapt in any cosmetic ways. Stay.

8. If you can go anywhere in the country, and easily find the kinds of hair products you need and/or cosmetics that match your skin color, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

9. If you were embarrassed about your clothes or house while growing up, take one step back.

     No. Stay.

10. If you can make mistakes and not have people attribute your behavior to flaws in your racial/gender group, take one step forward.

     No. I have many times felt that mistakes and shortcomings were attributed to my disabilities. Stay.

11. If you can legally marry the person you love, regardless of where you live, take one step forward.

     I am going to say No, because of how marriage adversely affects disability benefits. Stay.

12. If you were born in the United States, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

13. If you or your parents have ever gone through a divorce, take one step back.

     Yes. Although it happened when I was a young adult, my parents divorced. Step Back.

14. If you felt like you had adequate access to healthy food growing up, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.
 
15. If you are reasonably sure you would be hired for a job based on your ability and qualifications, take one step forward.

     No, I’m not sure of this, because of my disabilities. Stay.

16. If you would never think twice about calling the police when trouble occurs, take one step forward.

     Yes. Although police behavior concerns me, I don’t personally feel like I am at greater risk. Step Forward.
17. If you can see a doctor whenever you feel the need, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

18. If you feel comfortable being emotionally expressive/open, take one  step forward.

     No, not entirely. Stay.

19. If you have ever been the only person of your race/gender/socio-economic status/sexual orientation in a classroom or workplace setting, please take one step back.

     Yes, I have been the only disabled person. Step Back.

20. If you took out loans for your education backward.

     No. Stay.
21. If you get time off for your religious holidays, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

22. If you had a job during your high school and college years, take one step back.

     No, not really, and certainly not by necessity. Stay.

23. If you feel comfortable walking home alone at night, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.
24. If you have ever traveled outside the United States, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

25. If you have ever felt like there was NOT adequate or accurate representation of your racial group, sexual orientation group, gender group, and/or disability group in the media, take one step back.

     Yes. Step Back.

26. If you feel confident that your parents would be able to financially help/support you if you were going through a financial hardship, take one step forward.

     Yes. It happened more than once. Step Forward.

27. If you have ever been bullied or made fun of based on something that you can’t change, take one step back.

     Not often, but Yes. Step Back.
28. If there were more than 50 books in your house growing up, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

29. If you studied the culture or the history of your ancestors in elementary school take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

30. If your parents or guardians attended college, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

31. If you ever went on a family vacation, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

32. If you can buy new clothes or go out to dinner when you want to, take one step forward.

     Most of my life, Yes. Now, No. Stay.

33. If you were ever offered a job because of your association with a friend or family member, take one step forward.

     Yes. Step Forward.

34. If one of your parents was ever laid off or unemployed not by choice, take one step back.

     No. Stay.

35. If you were ever uncomfortable about a joke or a statement you overheard related to your race, ethnicity, gender, appearance, or sexual orientation but felt unsafe to confront the situation, take one step back.

     Yes, regarding disability, and I felt uncomfortable about confronting the person. Step Back.
RESULT: I am 11 steps ahead of where I started.

This questionnaire is pretty good, but it could be better at measuring disability factors. For example:

1. For disabled people, not having had a job during high school or college is usually a competitive disadvantage, rather than an indicator of privilege, as question 22 seems to assume. I’m not sure how to fix that for scoring, but it should be addressed.

2. Disability should be added as a possible factor to many of these questions where they aren’t already.

3. Add a question about being able to easily purchase clothes that fit properly and preset you in a stylish, professional manner, which is hard or impossible to do for many disabled people.

4. Add a question about whether you need direct, one-on-one help with essential everyday tasks in order to function. This is something that some, but not all disabled people need, and is a disadvantage in terms of privilege, even when daily help is available, because it is a major life factor other people simply don’t have to deal with.

None of these adjustments would change my overall results very much, but they would make this a more useful questionnaire overall.

This thing isn't meant to make you feel bad, no matter what the outcome. It's more of a self-awareness and thinking tool. Give it a try.

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