Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. Don’t forget, you can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

The Forgotten: Disabled And Detained At The Border
Sarah Kim, Forbes - June 28, 2019

Detaining asylum seekers at the Southern border is both a contentious political issue and a moral crisis. As so many issues do, it affects people with disabilities disproportionately.

The Olmstead Decision & Me
Alice Wong, Disability Visibility Project - June 28, 2019

This very personal account dramatizes disabled people’s struggle to achieve and maintain basic independence.

Creating Accessibility in Cafés
Vilissa Thompson, Fresh Cup Magazine - July 2, 2019

Tips for making cafes more accessible. More retail trade publications like this should be commissioning stories about the importance of accessibility.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. Don’t forget, you can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

It’s not just the Costco shooting. Disabled people are often killed by police
Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Los Angeles Times - June 19, 2019

This is a risk and a problem that everyone should take seriously.

Not one 2020 candidate has a website that is accessible to the blind
s.e. smith, Vox.com - June 26, 2019

Great work done by a National Federation for the Blind chapter, analyzing Presidential candidate websites. The article also includes a good overview of how the upcoming elections are relevant to people with disabilities.

CBS Signs Pledge to Audition Actors With Disabilities
Rebecca Sun, Hollywood Reporter - June 19, 2019

An important step in a positive trend.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. Don’t forget, ou can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

It’s Perfectly OK To Call A Disabled Person ‘Disabled,’ And Here’s Why
Brittany Wong, Huffington Post - June 14, 2019

A really clear and up to date explanation of how and why disability terminology is still evolving.

Charlestown mother investigated for voter fraud after helping disabled son vote
Tim Camerato, Valley News - June 11, 2019

All it takes is a bit of suspicion and a nosey poll worker to threaten voting rights for people with disabilities.

Disabled LGBT+ young people face a battle just to be taken seriously
Alex Toft, The Conversation - August 8, 2918

This article is more than a year old but it’s worth reading, especially during Pride Month.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

People With Disabilities Face Challenges Campaigning
Abagail Abrams, Time - June 12, 2019

This is an especially well-written story about the struggles and barriers encountered by people with disabilities running for office, and a new effort to help.

I’m Not Sorry If My Disability Makes You Uncomfortable
Anna Zivarts, Rooted In Rights - June 9, 2019

It’s one of the most insidious and exhausting ways we as disabled people tend to sabotage ourselves … by one way or another apologizing for our disabilities.

What Ali Stroker’s Historic Tony Win Means for Wheelchair Users Like Me
Judy Heumann, Hollywood Reporter - June 10, 2019

One of the early founders of the modern disability rights movement talks about why disability representation in media is so important.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

Designing for accessibility: From Frida Kahlo’s corsets to Franklin Roosevelt’s leg braces
Eleanor Cummins, Popular Science - March 1, 2019

Popular Science Magazine takes a look at prosthetics and adaptive devices used by some of the most famous people with disabilities in history.

I’m a Disabled Teenager, and Social Media Is My Lifeline
Asaka Park, New York Times - June 5, 2019

With all the concern and disdain of social media going around … much of it justified … it’s also important to recognize how important and valuable it is for some of us, particularly people with disabilities.

Club for Adults With Disabilities Fosters Love, Inclusion
Yvonne Wenger, The Baltimore Sun - June 2, 2019

This club for people with disabilities has so many pros and cons that we could discuss it for a week. Is it a joyous thing to be simply appreciated? Or is it yet another segregated program that ignores the question of how “regular” clubs can be made accessible? And based on the tone and content of the article, there’s a thread of paternalism that seems to run through the whole project. It’s very interesting!

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

I’m obese. I want a healthy lifestyle. But it’s often inaccessible to disabled people like me.
Pasquale Toscano, Vox.com - May 27, 2019

Health and weight loss are extremely complicated for people with disabilities, because of inaccessibility, and the extra layers of shaming that obesity can attract.

“We Want Our Freedom,” Declare Disability Advocates to Dems
Ruth McCambridge, Non Profit Quarterly - May 22, 2019

ADAPT is making progress to pass the Disability Integration Act, aimed at making home care available to anyone who needs it and chooses it.

War is hell. Try doing it in a wheelchair.
James Reini, Public Radio International - May 28, 2019

An in-depth look at coping with a disability in the middle of a war zone.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is posted every day.

My Disability Is Not a Burden—But to Convince Potential Dates, I First Have to Convince Myself
Esme Mazzeo, Glamour - May 16, 2019

Sometimes the most difficult ableism to overcome is in ourselves.

Why I will start including accessibility information in my restaurant reviews - The Washington Post
Tom Sietsema, Washington Post - May 10, 2019

Restaurant reviews … and all other types of business reviews … should always include marks for accessibility. It’s kind of incredible that they don’t already.

Follow the Money: The U.S. Budget and You | Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Autistic Self Advocacy Network

This guide to the US budgeting process is part of a series of policy and advocacy guides, most of them written in “plain language” for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

My mom, walker and all
McKenzie Delisle, Press-Republican - May 12, 2019

A local woman has written a book for her son about her own disability.

Body behaving badly
Robin Caudell, Press-Republican - May 14, 2019

Another disability-related Press-Republican article, this one on an often misunderstood condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

What You Need to Know About Consent and Disability
Spencer Williams, Vice - May 13, 2019

An absolutely crucial concern for people with disabilities, especially those who rely on personal care assistance.

6 Wheelchair Accessible Trip Ideas in New York State
Anna Pakman, Iloveny.com - July 13, 2018

Wonder what it would take to get some recognition for the North Country? It might be a good time to remind local planners that consistent accessibility can be a valuable asset for tourism.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Why disabled journalists should report on disability
Karina Sturm, April 19, 2019

Any journalist should be able to report well on disability issues. But journalists with disabilities tend to have better instincts about what really matters in stories involving disability.

Disabled people need more ramps, not more fancy new gadgets
s. e. smith, Vox.com - April 30, 2019

Technological innovation is great. But inventors need to talk to actual disabled people about what’s important to them. The “coolest” looking gadgets aren’t necessarily any use.

Also, we had 2 guest writers this month at the NCCI Blog:

Let’s Talk About Fatigue, by Allison Jonergin

Mental Illness and Coping in Relationships, by Gemma Tendrich

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Teaching “Yes Means Yes” Can Make Sex Education More Inclusive for the Disability Community
Sam Kischkel, Rooted In Rights - April 17, 2019

A fresh, personal perspective on sexuality and disability.

Why It Took Me Years To Become A Proud Disabled Woman
Wendy Lu, Huffington Post - April 12, 2019

A good overview of internalized ableism … how we act out shame and embarrassment of our own disabilities … and how we can overcome it.

Demystifying Disability
Kelly Dawson and Emily Ladau, Call Tour Girlfriend Podcast - April 18, 2019

A fun conversation between two disabled women, comparing notes on living with disabilities and how society deals with disabled people.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Things to Never Say (or Do) to Your Disabled Co-worker
Imani Barbarin, The Muse - April 14, 2019

Good advice for making all workplaces more friendly for people with disabilities.

90% Of People Think They’re Helping Society By Challenging People Who Don’t Look Disabled, Says Study
Katie O’Malley, Independent - April 15, 2019

Policing who is and isn’t disabled is very common, and one of the most constant frustrations for people with disabilities, especially invisible disabilities.

‘Game Of Thrones’ Finds Fans Among Disability Rights Activists, Too
Neda Ulaby, National Public Radio - July 10, 2017

Whether you’re a fan of this show or not, it’s worth noting how many different kinds of disabilities and disabled characters are in it, and not just in background roles.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

How A Devastating Hate Crime Provoked Sinéad Burke’s Powerful New Campaign
Sinéad Burke, Vogue - April 11, 2019

An incredible story of outrageous behavior, and a little person’s effort to change youth thinking about people with disabilities.

Busting the myth that autistic people lack empathy: the community speaks out
Ellen Seidman, Love That Max - April 10, 2019

It’s Autism Awareness Month, but there’s quite a bit of debate of what, exactly, people should be aware of in regard to autistic people. Quite often, this “awareness” amounts to inflating fear of an “epidemic,” or how “broken” autistic people are. But autism is an easily misunderstood set of diverse conditions. And while it poses numerous challenges, some quite profound, listening to what autistic people say and really thinking about what they do is an important first step towards understanding and acceptance.

One of us was a pain patient saved by opioids, the other was addicted to them. We both deserve a solution
Ryan Hampton and Kate M. Nicholson, Los Angeles Times - April 3, 2019

This is a really tremendous and balanced look at the intersection of battling the opioid crisis and the harm to people with genuinely chronic pain that is already happening as a side-effect of the opioid crackdown. Absolutely essential reading.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Nurses on Wheels

Tim Gilmer, New Mobility - April 1, 2019

This is the second part in a New Mobility magazine series on people with disabilities in the medical profession. The first piece, on doctors with disabilities, is here.

Teen turns prosthetic arm into glitter-shooting unicorn horn

Erin Ivory, WGN 9 Chicago - March 28, 2019

It’s easy to dismiss this as just a cute story, but it’s an example of how people with disabilities can think about their impairments in a completely different way. This is positive thinking, with a mischievous twist.

Here’s What Dr. Phil Got Wrong in His Episode on Interabled Relationships

Melissa Blake, Rooted In Rights - March 26, 2019

Dr. Phil may have been trying to shed light on some of the potential difficulties of relationships where one person is disabled and the other is not. But the way he made his case was incredibly ignorant, and also harmful to anyone with disabilities struggling with their self image and future relationship possibilities.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Even in Grief, I Still Have Pride
Robyn Powell, New York Times - March 21, 2019

A lot of people still find it hard to understand how the difficulties, hardships, and stigma of disability are mixed with pride and solidarity in actual disabled people. This article goes a long way towards explaining.

Why We Turned Down Dr. Phil
Squirmy & Grubbs - March 14, 2019

It’s very tempting to accept whenever public visibility is offered to disabled people. But it matters every single time how we are portrayed, and the messages our presence are meant to convey. Some “opportunities” aren’t worth it.

First Data On Wheelchair Damage By Airlines Released By DOT
John Morris, Wheelchair Travel - March 14, 2019

The numbers may or may not look staggering on paper, but each “mishandled” wheelchair represents massive inconvenience, physical risk, and huge expense. Hopefully, having records of airline performance will help them improve.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

The College Admissions Scandal Could Have Lasting Impacts for Disabled People
Brittney McNamara, Teen Vogue - March 13, 2019

Anger over this “college testing scandal” could make life even harder for people with disabilities who need testing accommodations.

Flying Tips for Wheelchair Users, By Wheelchair Users
Barbara Twardowski and Jim Twardowski, New York Times - March 8, 2019

A good list of air travel tips for travelers who use wheelchairs. In the meantime, airlines are now required to keep records of wheelchair damages and other problems, so soon we may finally see the full scale of the problem.

On Disability and on Facebook? Uncle Sam Wants to Watch What You Post
Robert Pear, New York Times - March 10, 2019

Nobody wants people to cheat on Disability, but trying to figure that out by looking at someone’s Facebook page seems intrusive and potentially grossly misleading.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Mike Oliver, pioneer of ‘revolutionary’ social model of disability, dies - reports
Aine Kelly-Costello, NewsHub - March 3, 2019

This profile also provides a good explanation of what the “Social Model” of disability is and why it’s so important to people with disabilities, the disability rights movement, and Independent Living Centers like NCCI.

My Knowledge of My Body is Often Ignored When I Seek Medical Care
Rachel Lichman, Rooted In Rights - February 28, 2019

It’s not exactly news that disabled people tend to have a harder time dealing with the medical profession. This personal essay explores some of the ways that actually plays out.

Disabled Docs – Healing the Medical Model?
Tim Gilmer, New Mobility - March 1, 2019

Part of a series on medical professionals with disabilities … not only expanding opportunities for disabled people in the field, but hopefully also helping making the profession more responsive to disabled patients.

Weekly Disability Reading List

Links to three disability-related articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Carrie Ann Lucas Was a BAMF
Rebecca Cokley, Disability Visibility Project - February 27, 2019

This past weekend the disability community lost a tremendous advocate, who championed the rights of parents with disabilities.

Personal assistance needed
Annemarie Schuetz and Elizabeth Lepro, The River Reporter - February 20, 2019

An excellent profile of a CDAP user, how the program works, and how it is under threat.

Will Presidential Candidates Remember the Voting Power of People With Disabilities?
Robyn Powell, Rewire.News - February 20, 2019

The 2020 campaign is already starting!

Three Links

Links to three articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

#ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow is Necessary Because Realistic Disability Representation is Scarce
Imani Barbarin, Rooted In Rights - February 6, 2019

Twitter hashtags are kind of a cliche, but they are still sometimes useful and even inspiring. This is a great example of how Twitter can foster real sharing between people with disabilities.

For People With Disabilities, Navigating Can Be Difficult In Wintertime
Dave Lucas, Northeast Public Radio - February 4, 2019

Another take on a familiar North Country accessibility issue.

The 2019 New York State Disability Priority Agenda
NCCI Blog - February 11, 2019

Our blog post linking to this year’s statewide advocacy agenda. It’s a good, quick way to get up to date on what’s happening in Albany and what the disability community wants.

Three Links

Links to three articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

Many shelters can’t handle domestic-violence survivors with disabilities
Maria Polletta, Arizona Republic - February 4, 2019

This has been a chronic accessibility problem for years. It’s interesting to note that the shelter director quoted says the problem is they didn’t know who to call. There are ILCs like NCCI in every state ready to help people who want to improve accessibility!

Episode 68: Wally the Alligator and Sensationalism
Emily Ladau & Kyle Kachadurian, The Accessible Stall Podcast - February 5, 2019

A very interesting audio discussion, not just about what “counts” as a “service animal,” but whether disability issues are well served or distorted by seemingly “outrageous” disability stories.

Lawmakers Call For End To Subminimum Wage
Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop - February 5, 2019

More details on the new Senate bill to phase out subminimum wage: the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, or S. 260.

Three Links

Links to three articles shared last week on NCCI social media. You can always visit NCCI on Facebook and Twitter at the following links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ncciplattsburgh/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NCCIPlatts

New content is added every day.

5 ways to protect the confidentiality of counseling clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Rose Reif - January 23, 2019

A really good article on confidentiality in disability services.

Experiencing an Endometriosis or Fibromyalgia Flare
Allison Jonergin, NCCI Blog - January 29, 2019

Guest blog from Allison Jonergin.

Chairman Scott, Senator Casey, and Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Workers with Disabilities Transition to Competitive, Integrated Employment
U. S. House Education & Labor Committee - January 31, 2019

A new bill in Congress that would phase out subminimum wage.