Clarification on the term “neutral” Neutral Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster Neutral Definition and Examples – Biology Online Dictionary Neutral Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary Various NIH Guidelines for language, terminology, and communication Autism | National Institutes of Health (NIH) Person-first and Destigmatizing Language | National Institutes of Health (NIH) Disabilities | National Institutes …
This article pertains to a specific (past) situation that may or may not be familiar, or even relevant, to some readers who are viewing this. I do think the overall concept is of merit, which is why I will leave this up long after the matter has become “yesterday’s news.” I feel that it provides …
So…I was recently appointed to the IACC, which is the federal advisory board that handles important autism-related matters at the national level. There were ~40-ish? people appointed in total, including 23 public members…and a full EIGHT of us public members are autistic! I am beyond grateful to have an opportunity to serve my community in …
Let’s hope they don’t kick me off: these IACC public comments though… Read More »
My mother told me that when I was a baby/toddler, I had a fascination with the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” I used to script it constantly, singing it at socially inappropriate volumes (i.e. extremely loudly) in public places as well as at home – even when it was nowhere near Christmastime/winter. Another mother …
Cue the lights, cue the music. The video starts. A young lady with Down Syndrome stands on a grassy football field, her eyes glistening with tears that threaten to roll down her carefully made-up face as she is crowned Homecoming Queen to a chorus of thunderous applause. The next few minutes of the video are …
I was asked to write a post about ableism in Pantsuit Nation to be shared with their members. I don’t have the spoons to write a separate post for Disability Day of Mourning as well, so I am using the text of that post here. (Edited to add: Pantsuit Nation has opted not to publish …
Disability, Choice, & the Right to Exist (for #DDOM) Read More »
It has taken me a week to be able to write out my thoughts about my horrific recent experience with Southwest Airlines. Though I did encounter some very helpful and very compassionate Southwest Airlines staff that day, I am hurt, disappointed, and disgusted by the unprofessional and ableist way that I was treated by Southwest …
Disrespect & Ableism from a Southwest Airlines Representative: My Story Read More »
Churches can be hell for autistic people – unwelcoming, uncomfortable, unpleasant places to be. This may not be happy news, but it many cases it is true. It has certainly been true for me at different times throughout my life – both during the period of life when I wasn’t a Christian and since I …
Why Churches Can Be Hell for Autistic People, Part 1 of 2 Read More »
“Would you bind my feet?” I was on my laptop in my living room entering grades into my online gradebook. Basically working from home for free (as usual…that’s #teacherlife for you, right?) on a warm weekday afternoon. The kids were afoot as they always were: my youngest daughter snuggled against my back as we sat …
Lessons from Imperial China, for Disability Day of Mourning (#DDoM) Read More »
Most of us have multiple identities. Few (actually, probably no) people in this world can claim a existence that’s purely homogeneous. We are all different in some way, and usually in several ways. However, there’s a pretty distinct difference in our perspectives and our experiences when our specific differences fall within marginalized and/or minority groups …
All of me: how do I know where blackness ends and neurodivergence begins? Read More »
