Thursday, June 24, 2004
The Crimson Tide
I have my period. AKA My female issue or, as my mom taught me to call it, George. Pink drips in the toilet like paint. Blood-stained, folded hand towels in the laundry. My personal care assistants (PCAs) go through latex gloves like tofu at a vegan luncheon. For an able-bodied woman, its enough of a problem, but for me- a wheelchair using gimp with a plastic allergy, its more like a mini-tragedy. My allergy always gets worse, even though I'm using cloth towels not throw away plastic pads or...
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Monday, May 10, 2004
We Are Ording Children, Not Dinner: a rewrite of my Ford Foundation Speech
I must be honest. The balancing act performed by pro-choice, anti-selection feminsts is emotionally challenging and politically complex. We risk much to critique and hopefully influence the raising tide of abortion based on innate, and often minor, characteristics that our society happens to perceive as flaws. Often we do not share our concern publicly because we fear our words will be misused by those who seek to overturn hard-won reproductive freedoms, including reversing Roe vs. Wade, banning...
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Tuesday, May 4, 2004
Crisis of the Little Brown Girl
I live a simple life... $627 a month… tiny, two bedroom apartment… free furniture from family, friends, and a place called “The Survival Center” which gives furniture, clothes, and other things to everyone who needs it. The newest things in my house are three storage boxes and two lamps, which I bought last May. Except for the occasional activist t-shirt, I haven’t gotten new clothes since Christmas (and those were presents). Yet tomorrow I am going to spend three nights in the Shelburne Murray...
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Sunday, May 2, 2004
Evaluate this!
In order to get personal assistance services in my state you must undergo a yearly re-evaluation. I haven’t figured out why this is necessary because it is not like my cerebral palsy is going to go away. I really don’t expect to wake up one morning and hop out of bed fully able- bodied. But anyway, I was re-evaluated on Friday. It was extremely awkward to explain the inner workings of my private life and hygiene habits to a stranger and have them judged. Last year, I was approved for 70.25 hours...
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Disability and Reproducrive Freedom- a brief overview
When you are disabled the definition of reproductive freedom is broader than the one commonly held by able bodied people. I know of course that not every able bodied person use reproductive choices in the same way. But if you listen to the media monopoly’s diatribe on the subject you would think that reproductive freedom only related to contraceptive choice and abortion access. All too often, pro-choice advocates pander to the media’s version of reproductive choice and only focus on abortion...
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Saturday, March 27, 2004
Seeing my friends faces: personal thoughts on disability and abortion
The second installment of news from the sitting position comes fresh off a trip to DC for a disability rights rally that earned meetings with the Department of Health and Human Services, a meeting with the American Association of Retired Persons, and my 13th arrest- never for anything I've been ashamed of. It also comes on the heels of a day spent in the library researching the disability rights community's critique of prenatal testing and selective abortion on the basis of disability. I am not...
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Saturday, March 13, 2004
Prelude to meal (Appetizer): an introduction to the disability community
Welcome to the Sitting Position, a place most of you will never visit and a place some of you visit every day, perhaps not just because you’re a wheelchair user like me. Maybe your best friend, significant other, sibling, child, or parent is in a wheelchair. Maybe you’re a personal care assistant (either under or unpaid in most circumstances). Whoever you are, you’re smarter then 95% of the population. Whether your status in the disability community is member, ally, or visitor, you know more...
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