I thought my last post was about acceptance (the vast majority of days I do meet the wikipedia definition of a paraplegic), but it opened up some interesting comments from folks I hadn't expected about the nature of disability.

One problem is that I didn't post the entire questionnaire that disaboom has: they had "level of function," none of which you have to check if you don't want to, and then under that a rather exhaustive list of conditions. I didn't mention them because checking "M.S." was not much of an eye-opener for me.

But the other problem is, I think, that within and without the disability community rages a battle over what disability _is._ Especially for folks with "invisible disabilities."

I live in Minnesota: The Land of 10,000 Frozen Smiles, and so no one has ever openly demanded an accounting from me. A combination of the culture I live in and the fact that even without mobility equipment I am most of the time quite visibly impaired (you should have SEEN the comedy of errors when I remembered that I was parked illegally and rushed downstairs completely forgetting my crutches last week) means that I am free from that sort of scrutiny. Although I have had some pointedly skeptical questions about how I can possibly ride a bike if I'm "that disabled," (whatever "that disabled" means), I have never had to answer the belligerent accusation: "You don't LOOK disabled," although I once had a well-meaning coworker tell me that I don't "act" disabled, which was bizarre and awkward to say the least.

And then, of course, there were the comments on my post from my delightfully individualistic readers. My fave? "Labels are for pickle jars."

I myself love labels and I embrace all of mine, although I do understand why my friends don't like them and that's part of why I adore my friends.

So here's my partial list of labels:

Mom
White girl
Midwesterner
Irish-American
Scottish-American
English-American (you never see THAT, now do you)
German-American
Big Sister
Disabled
Part-time Paraplegic
City girl
Writer
Bicyclist
Granola
Nerd
Dork
Middle-aged
Myopic
Folkie

Perhaps we can save the debate about what constitutes a disability for another time. Arie, for instance, has some very decided opinions on _his_ labels.

(edited to remove the comments about culture, as Michael in comments below has had a vastly different experience, and I remember now that I had one person notice my ability to squat down easily and deduce that I was faking my need for a cane.)

I still remember with astounding clarity the moment I heard someone refer to me as "disabled." It was janradder, and he said it as casually as if he were saying: "You're freckled."

The moment was such a shock that I can't even remember the context. But I remember we were standing in the kitchen, and I remember the angle of the light coming in through the window, and I remember that I was twisted slightly from the counter, drying a dish. I nearly contradicted him, but then I realized there was nothing to contradict.

Just now I had a similar moment, when I signed up with a profile at disaboom. It had, under level of function, a list:

Level of function (check all that apply)
_ Quadriplegic
_ Paraplegic
_ Hemiplegic
_ Limb Loss
_ Sight
_ Hearing
_ Paralysis

Hmmmm, I thought. There's nothing here that describes me. And then I looked up "hemiplegic," because I had no idea what the hell that was (it's having impairment on 1/2 of your body: right or left) and then paraplegic. And I realized: Oh. And I checked the box.

(Sent to me via Shana.)

Old post. HILARIOUS.

http://maydayprdx.blogspot.com/2008/07/currying-ur-favrs.html

Sample:
"Having a friend who uses a wheelchair is important to white people because it shows they are not only sensitive to the needs of the disabled, but it enables them to feel like they are doing a good deed each time they interact with you. White people generally center their view of the disabled based upon the Tiny Tim model, the myth that all people in wheelchairs are heroic for doing the most mundane things. So you ask, how can I use this to my advantage?"

When sdn sent me the article about the mostly Black group of kids banned from a local private swim club for "changing the complexion" of the place, my first reaction was shock and then, of course, fury.

I am now very, very sad.

Seeing the interviews with the stunned and disappointed little kids was heartbreaking to me. Why do white people keep doing this again and again and again and again?

I realize it's a certain type of white person; perhaps the white folks reading this want to distance themselves from them by saying: "private club -- wealthy," or "suburban," or whatever.

But a dearly loved relative of mine once denied admittance to an area club to someone for being a Catholic who worked for a Jew. It was a long time ago, but he still did it. Another relative whom I will not pretend to love is an ugly, petty part of Chicago's hideous racial history. They are family. I am not going to allow myself to pretend it's those "other white people over there."

When are we going to stop hurting little children in our insane and frantic desire to set ourselves apart as better, as special, as inherently deserving of the best things? Why do we keep doing it? Why why why?

Saturday I was so Fake Disease(tm)y that I barely got out of bed and needed a wheelchair to go watch the fireworks.

Sunday I went for a 20-mile bike ride.

If I were keeping such a list in an organized fashion, I'd have to add: "Éiden, stop wiping bread on your shoulder" to that list.

Vitamin D deficiencies and autism:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-and-autism

It's also being connected to MS. And yes, I have been tested and I did have a Vitamin D deficiency, at least two years ago when they first tested. I've been supplementing and now I don't know if I still have one.

(I would have resigned over the fact that they use creepy, misleading, and Jerry's Kidsesque PR, but whatever):

An open letter I receieved from Ari Newman's Autistic Self Advocacy Network:

From Dr. Eric London.

Dr. Eric London has announced his resignation from the Autism Speaks Scientific Affairs Committee.

London is the Director of the Autism Treatment Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities. He is also Director of the New York State Autism Consortium and a member of the Autism Science Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board. He is the co-founder of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR).

( Dr. London's letter of resignation: ) (emphasis mine.)

From the NYT:

Court Rules Franken Has Won Senate Seat
The Minnesota Supreme Court has just issued its long-awaited judgment in the Senate race, declaring that Democrat Al Franken is the winner.

Norm Coleman's goal was, besides to puff up his ego, to damage the Democratic agenda in Congress for as long as humanly possible. He succeeded in that goal, but there is still a lot of legislation and work to be done.

May Norm Coleman reap what he sowed.

ETA: Norm Coleman conceded:
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/30/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5126051.shtml

Whenever our anniversary falls on a weekend, it's always Pride weekend. This always makes my anniversary bittersweet.

I so look forward to the day that I can celebrate with no mixed feelings, and so can my gay friends and relations. And I am so sad that the Obama administration filed a brief supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (now there's an Orwellian moniker; it's actually the Attack on Marriage Act).

Stay proud, my gorgeous GLBT people. It's only a matter of time. And, of course, a long fight.