tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post4394565861758429230..comments2024-01-26T10:20:37.836+00:00Comments on Diary of a Goldfish: The Disability Hierarchy 1 - An IntroductionThe Goldfishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15213378454070776331noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-75582337447420689112011-09-13T04:13:12.485+01:002011-09-13T04:13:12.485+01:00Thank you for this. As a psychiatrically disabled...Thank you for this. As a psychiatrically disabled woman, yet able-bodied, I think a lot about the looks I get when I use my food stamps at the supermarket (granted from SSDI). Additionally, as a schizoaffective femme lesbian, there's a whole lot of crazy going on that is less visible. This hierarchy thing your talking about makes a lot of sense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-17963399215569409322011-09-01T23:58:09.009+01:002011-09-01T23:58:09.009+01:00Thanks everyone.
And yes Charles, I will get to ...Thanks everyone. <br /><br />And yes Charles, I will get to it somehow. It is an utter scandal the way that sometimes very severe impairment is seen as a natural and thus ignorable part of growing older - and that seems to start pretty early. <br /><br />It's also weird when you see people who have been disabled all their adult lives, who are suddenly regarded quite differently when they reach 65. On the one hand, they can become more "normal" because of this idea that impairment is natural. On the other hand, they can lose access to all kinds of help and support that they were able to take for granted at a younger age.<br /><br />I will get to this - I really did mean to write just the one post, but I keep thinking of more vitally important aspects of this!The Goldfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15213378454070776331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-81293577990237512011-08-27T15:21:53.204+01:002011-08-27T15:21:53.204+01:00There is something you haven't commented on in...There is something you haven't commented on in this hierarchy, and it's age discrimination at the latter end of life.<br /><br />This country is full of people over pension age who are the invisible disabled. "Oh, it's only wear-and-tear....you must expect that at your age....go to the back of the queue....what is someone of your age doing worrying about lack of sex/employment/social isolation?"<br /><br />And the victims of this discrimination usually compound the problem by agreeing with the judgements; they don't see themselves as "disabled" and all too often don't take up even the miserly help that is available.<br /><br />And don't even get me started on the dementias....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-26985995559517641732011-08-13T05:12:19.114+01:002011-08-13T05:12:19.114+01:00Hey, I used to read regularly then you seemed to g...Hey, I used to read regularly then you seemed to go on a hiatus and I just noticed you'd started posting again! (woo hoo). <br />I hope this isn't too weird, I wanted to comment on this post at least partially because it's excellent, but I also wanted to figure out a way to get in touch with you about my new project (which my url links to) that seemed to connect with some of what you were saying about how marginalized identities seem to (to the media and society at large) only be able to come one at a time: like the idea of people with disabilities always being straight white men, or lesbians being white cis* able-bodied women etc.... <br /><br />Anyway, if you'd be willing to email about my project (basically attempting to deal with the "fact" that marginalized identities seem to only be "tackled" one at a time in services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault), I'd super appreciate it, as I'm trying to get it off the ground and get a bit of community notice so that it really reflects the needs of everyone. My email is e reis burgin (without spaces) at google's email doohickey. (I tried finding a contact here on the site but I seem particularly bad at finding those things).Ezekiel Reis Burginhttp://theaccessibilityforsurvivorsproject.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-90009883217036970492011-08-12T22:52:49.693+01:002011-08-12T22:52:49.693+01:00I do not send email to people who sign themselves ...I do not send email to people who sign themselves as Unknown. That makes me uncomfortable. <br /><br />If you are legit, you are welcome to follow me on Twitter. We can go from there.<br /><br />I don't wish any harm to anybody. I prefer compassion over retaliation. And if a person is hit by a truck, does that miraculous give my daughter mobility? Does it give her ability to speak? No. it only makes yet another person disabled either permanently or temporarily.Miss Shuganahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13200157646397610173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-34484169549471613182011-08-12T22:37:03.107+01:002011-08-12T22:37:03.107+01:00Hi,
I received your emailed response. I bet your d...Hi,<br />I received your emailed response. I bet your daughter is beautiful!<br /><br />Hopefully those folks walking across the street will do so in the path of an on-coming truck. Just kidding...sort of!<br /><br />I would love to send you the proposal paper for my dissertation. We had to chose a problem at our workplace as a topic. I found out so much and I think you would be interested in the information. If you send me an email address I can send it to you.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05635166186625436315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-77924601715204277972011-08-12T16:10:45.243+01:002011-08-12T16:10:45.243+01:00I need to compose a fuller response at some point,...I need to compose a fuller response at some point, but I wanted to leave you with this video by A M Baggs, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc" rel="nofollow">In My Language</a> where she states, Towards the end she states, "Only when the many shapes of personhood are recognized will justice and human rights be possible," <br /><br />This hierarchy should not exist. Some disabled are more equal than others. Some people with disabilities are more acceptable than others. Soldiers are tolerable. Children in a wheelchair, not so much. People would sooner cross the street than have to gaze at my daughter. <br /><br />I look forward to your other posts.Miss Shuganahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13200157646397610173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-51927560725407794322011-08-10T04:45:58.117+01:002011-08-10T04:45:58.117+01:00I see the hierarchy every day working as a speech ...I see the hierarchy every day working as a speech therapist in schools. If the child is small and "cute" - much more acceptable. The "less cute" (more "obvious" physical disabilities) and/or they become, are much less acceptable. In my district (2nd largest in the country) the "less cute" are segregated into seperate "special eduction centers" where they endure all kinds of subtle and overt abuses. I tried to stop the abuse and got moved to another school. I am fighting the move and never stopped fighting the treatment of the students. I created two online petitions to help me. Please sign them and get others to sign them. Thanks<br /><br />http://www.change.org/petitions/teachers-punished-for-taking-stand-against-abuse<br /><br /><br />http://www.change.org/petitions/train-educators-to-recognizeprevent-abuse-of-disabled-studentsUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05635166186625436315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-49431306223724838762011-08-09T22:24:59.614+01:002011-08-09T22:24:59.614+01:00Perhaps I can bring a smile to your day with my o...Perhaps I can bring a smile to your day with my own situation and "plan" for the next 8 monthsPeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15390728057303887868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-78278037930937391702011-08-09T11:59:10.270+01:002011-08-09T11:59:10.270+01:00very much look forward to reading the rest of the ...very much look forward to reading the rest of the posts on the subject, but the first thing that sprang into my mind was how little has changed since the ancient Greeks, thousands of years ago - Aristotle tells us in the Nicomachean Ethics (3.5) that those with congenital blindness were regarded differently to those who went blind through alcohol abuse (not the terms he used, but you get my meaning). There are other examples but i'm teaching you to suck eggs and I don't want to do that!<br /><br />Deafness is one of those "invisible" disabilities. The funny thing is, I recently had new digital hearing aids that have a light on the back of the aid when its switched on. if my hair is pulled back, this renders my aids far more visible (especially at night.. two little red glows at head height bouncing up and down as i walk, apparently!) and i get treated quite differently by the general public as a result. Its an interesting process to observe....<br /><br />look forward to the rest of the series :)kethryhttp://kethry.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10557263.post-24574778482643077032011-08-09T01:55:49.150+01:002011-08-09T01:55:49.150+01:00This was a beautiful essay. Having several of thes...This was a beautiful essay. Having several of these "invisible" disabilities myself, I also wonder if I really count as handicapped, and fall into the mental trap of thinking I can just defy these problems with willpower alone. Defiance is a large part of the struggle for most people.<br /><br />What's helped is to realize that the defiance isn't so much against physical or cognitive limitations, but the society that stigmatizes them.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17773416732192167277noreply@blogger.com