Author: crippledscholar

I am a disability and mad studies scholar who is currently working on an autoethnographic PhD looking at the ways in which mad and disabled women are still hidden from public space in various ways. it is tentatively titled "We Still Hide Mad Women in the Attic"

While Outlander is a Real Winner for Women it Totally Fails Disabled People

~ crippledscholar ~ 8 Comments

Outlander is returning to the Starz Network today. It is a popular series based on the novels of Diana Gabaldon. I admit I like the show. I read the books first so of course I cringe where the show deviates from the original. The show is well made and truly entertaining. It has also been … Continue reading While Outlander is a Real Winner for Women it Totally Fails Disabled People

Hey People: Diagnoses are Nouns not Adjectives

~ crippledscholar ~ Leave a comment

As I have written about before, language usage is important when considering how disabled people are viewed and portrayed in society. While I personally prefer to not use person first language, there is one situation where the person should always come first. This is when an actual diagnosis is being discussed. I will demonstrate: Person … Continue reading Hey People: Diagnoses are Nouns not Adjectives

Proof that “Positive” Euphemisms for Disability Just Don’t Work

~ crippledscholar ~ 1 Comment

In the last couple of decades the language surrounding disability has become very fluid, less specific and just generally vague because "disability" is seen as a dirty word whose associations have negative affects on the people to whom it's applied. In a move that fools exactly no one supposedly positive euphemisms have been introduced to … Continue reading Proof that “Positive” Euphemisms for Disability Just Don’t Work

When Your Disability isn’t Considered in Grade School

~ crippledscholar ~ 7 Comments

I have hemiplegic cerebral palsy and am on the autism spectrum. I wasn't diagnosed with the latter until I was eighteen and had already graduated high school. In some ways the total lack of knowledge my parents had about cerebral palsy contributed to this lack of diagnosis. My extreme sensitivity to touch and textures was … Continue reading When Your Disability isn’t Considered in Grade School

Reinterpreting the Social Model of Disability to be More Inclusive and Less Confusing

~ crippledscholar ~ 2 Comments

There are two main models that people use to understand disability and its place in society. The most common is the medical model of disability (AKA the individual model) which positions disability as a solely individual medical experience and puts emphasis on treatment or cure. The overall goal is to have the person with the … Continue reading Reinterpreting the Social Model of Disability to be More Inclusive and Less Confusing

Why I Don’t Use People First Language: A Brief History of My Relationship with the Language and Disability

~ crippledscholar ~ 4 Comments

I am going to be clear up front, this is NOT a condemnation of person first language or the people that use it. I always endeavor to refer to people respectfully which includes using their preferred labels. This is rather a case of personal opinion and a reflection on how the language of disability is … Continue reading Why I Don’t Use People First Language: A Brief History of My Relationship with the Language and Disability