By Noah Berlatsky — 2014
The supercrip narrative, disability rights groups say, mostly serves to make mainstream audiences feel awesome and inspired, while ignoring the actual difficulties faced by and prejudices directed at the vast majority of disabled people.
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The reality of being a disabled person on Medicaid is far more complex and nuanced. Many people do not even know the difference between Medicaid and Medicare and simply consider them “entitlement programs,” as if tax breaks and corporate subsidies aren’t entitlements by another name.
Most students learn that Keller, born June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Ala., was left deaf and blind after contracting a high fever at 19 months, and that her teacher Anne Sullivan taught her braille, lip-reading, finger spelling and eventually, how to speak.
Disability activism is empowering. Keys to getting started are staying open, sharing the stage, working collaboratively, listening and learning, and being willing to ask for help to make it less scary.
Providing ways for people to share their perspectives through storytelling initiatives can contribute to bigger changes in society and even help reduce prejudice.
The climate emergency has clear themes with heroes and villains. Describing it this way is how to build a movement.
A place to start for Black women and women of color looking to reclaim their power.
There might be a solution to implicit racial bias, argues Rhonda Magee: cultivating moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
I believe the secret to turning despair into rewarding action is feeling aligned with others and working together for a common cause.