Category: Disability in Society

Let’s Contextualize the Suspension of that University of Guelph Prof who Bullied a Disabled Student

~ crippledscholar ~ 2 Comments

Yesterday, a story came out about a University of Guelph professor who had openly mocked a disabled student during lecture. This resulted in the targeted student leaving the room along with his aide. Many of his classmates followed suit. The professor in question has been placed on leave and the incident is being applauded as … Continue reading Let’s Contextualize the Suspension of that University of Guelph Prof who Bullied a Disabled Student

Katimavik Completely Changed My Life for the Better but I have Misgivings about it Coming Back

~ crippledscholar ~ 2 Comments

  When I was 18, I was diagnosed as being autistic. I finally had an explanation for all the social misunderstanding and interpersonal faux pas I’d experienced. I now knew that every time I was punished for some mysterious crime with the all too frequent admonishment ‘It’s not what you said, it’s how you said … Continue reading Katimavik Completely Changed My Life for the Better but I have Misgivings about it Coming Back

Why I Dislike the ISA and Why I Think it has Failed

~ crippledscholar ~ 8 Comments

I hate the International Symbol of Access (ISA). That symbol that is intended to indicate spaces built to accommodate disabled people. It has however fundamentally failed to promote the accessibility that it meant to signify. If anything it has fostered misunderstandings both outside of and within the disability community. The symbol is tellingly often referred to … Continue reading Why I Dislike the ISA and Why I Think it has Failed

Tommy Adaptive and the Complicated Ethics of Having No Alternatives

~ crippledscholar ~ 6 Comments

    Tommy Hilfiger has come out with a line of adaptive clothing for disabled people and I am conflicted. There is so little truly good adaptive fashion available to disabled people and the Tommy Adaptive line is pretty and stylish. Something that is frequently decidedly lacking in adaptive clothing which often seems to presume … Continue reading Tommy Adaptive and the Complicated Ethics of Having No Alternatives

Euphemisms for Disability are Infantalizing

~ crippledscholar ~ 9 Comments

  I have written about the importance of language as it relates to disability before. To oppose the idea that clear language should be avoided in favour of what can best be described as pretending difference doesn't exist to opposing the replacement of clear language with euphemisms. Euphemisms are rampant in disability discourse. There is … Continue reading Euphemisms for Disability are Infantalizing

#KiehlsxAutismSpeaks: Buying Face Cream won’t Help Autistic People & Neither will Autism Speaks

~ crippledscholar ~ 6 Comments

    There is so much wrong with the #KiehlsxAutismSpeaks campaign that I hardly know where to begin. The campaign has two components, the first is a consumer component which donates a portion of sales to Autism Speaks. The second is a social media campaign which raises money based on the number of shares a … Continue reading #KiehlsxAutismSpeaks: Buying Face Cream won’t Help Autistic People & Neither will Autism Speaks

The Ineffectiveness of Sentiment Masquerading as Disability Solidarity

~ crippledscholar ~ Leave a comment

We live in a world that is fundamentally inaccessible to disabled people. Physical access to public space is still a significant barrier. Social policies also make it difficult for disabled people to participate in society. Yet, these issues rarely make the news unless they are perceived as particularly callous. Consider when Calgary Airport removed wheelchair … Continue reading The Ineffectiveness of Sentiment Masquerading as Disability Solidarity