Ableism can occur with strangers or people you know, such as family and friends. We are a group of researchers with and without cerebral palsy. We wish to find out about how adults (18 years or older) with cerebral palsy successfully confront ableism. Some people with cerebral palsy find ways of successfully dealing with ableism. … Continued
Dating can be a challenging and overwhelming experience for anyone, but if you’ve got a disability, the barriers can be much higher. Just ask Jerusha Mather. The biomedical student with cerebral palsy said she found dating especially difficult because of negative attitudes and stereotypes
When it comes to personal disability pride, my feelings are mixed. While I have immense pride in who I am, I also find it hard to celebrate or feel accepted purely because of my disability. I have been an amputee now for 4 years, acquiring my disability as a result of a rare, aggressive bone cancer (osteo sarcoma) in my ankle.
There’s a lot of pressure on disability advocates to be mentally strong all the time. As a content creator, there’s this self-inflicted pressure to be happy. I took on the responsibility as the person who was going to cheer other people up and also raise awareness at the time, to challenge this misconception that if you have a disability, you’re constantly miserable. And because of this idea that people with disability are always miserable, their mental health needs get dismissed, the assumption being it’s normal for a disabled person to be depressed.
Larissa MacFarlane acquired a brain injury 24 years ago which she said allowed her to become the artist she is today. The month of July is Disability Pride Month which is of great significance for MacFarlane and her work to change stigma around disability.
This meticulously researched book uses archival records to explore the history of Kew Cottages through the trajectory of ideas behind development of disability policy, both nationally and internationally, and the treatment of people with intellectual disabilities in institutional care, covering the evolution of disability within our society. Everyone with an interest in the history of disability rights in Victoria should read this book which explores the way policies and services have evolved as our understanding of intellectual disability improves.
This video series explores the importance of the social model of disability framework when responding to disability issues in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.. The videos highlight the experiences of six people with disability and what the social model of disability means to them. The videos are available in multiple languages and with English subtitles.
For quite a while now, I’ve been wanting to speak out about my experience, as an 18-year-old living with a disability, and the challenges that I have had to face, as I navigate an ableist world. It is deeply frustrating that I have had to come to this point, but I want to let everyone know that I am ok and I am not writing this to ask for pity. I still get to live an amazing life despite this. I am writing this to help people better understand what I have to go through on a daily basis and in turn, help to improve my life and the lives of others.
‘It’s vital we teach the next generation about disability history’
Disability rights should be part of the curriculum so that all children learn about it and all disabled people can see themselves represented.
But none tried to pose the reality before me bravely and empower me for the future. Even the doctors in my family failed to predict the complications, difficulties and challenges ensuing from this accident. The most difficult part I feel is identifying oneself as disabled and shifting your habits, ways and lifestyle from pre-disability to the post life.
There’s an implied link between medicine and disability. The assumption is that if you’re disabled enough to need support, you’ll have an expert team of medical professionals at your disposal to verify this. But people fall through the cracks of our healthcare system every day, unable to find specialists who understand what’s happening to their body. When this happens, they’re left to drown.
When the 2022 Australian of the Year was announced, Dylan Alcott wheeled onto the stage. Australian audiences are tuning in to watch TV shows featuring people with disability: You Can’t Ask That, Love on the Spectrum and Employable Me. The Disability Pride movement is gaining momentum and people with disability are becoming part of the diversity conversation. On the surface, it … Continued
Figuring out how you see and present yourself and your disability can be as important as knowing how to adapt to it, get around barriers, and deal with prejudice and discrimination. It may not always seem like it, but asking yourself some thoughtful, probing questions once in awhile about what kind of disabled person you are can be as useful as any form of specific therapy or training.
Victorian organisation Women’s Health in the South East said forced sterilisation was often performed to prevent pregnancy, that it breached “every international human rights treaty to which Australia is a party” and “constitutes torture”.
Can you recognise when you’re being ableist? Even well-meaning people can exhibit unconscious bias against people with disabilities. Read each example and think about how you would typically react to the situation. Then read how people in the disability community feel about the same scenarios.