It is all my visual thinking at fault probabley
People often try to argue by reference to analogy and not the thing itself
and what I do is try to build closer analogies
I like to think of it all like a landscape, and that if autism were a state,
it has counties and I live in the county bordering the state of dyslexia so
that puts me closer in my thinking to dsylexia than to someone in another
county of autism, which is probably the only model that Simon has for
reference being unaware of the historical reasons why this is so.
I go off the point, we are all in the united states of neuro-diversity and
why should we not make alliances with another country accross the water,
some of us probably have two passports that allow us to travel there anyhow.
Some people you are right are not ready for non judgemental models as the
concepts behind them have not "crystalised" if that is the right word in
there cognitive framework yet
However by using terms like diversity or difference and by refusing to make
comparisons with assumed norms, I am making a philosophical statement that
the world is not really ours to divide up.
There are silent trees in the forests too. and for the unwilling conscript
in Iraq about to be wasted on the worlds folly there are more important
things than words and lables aren't there
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of big-hi2u
> Sent: 19 January 2003 15:11
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: An open-debate on NeuroDiversity ! No Labels,
>
>
> hello all
>
> This discussion worries me for many reasons and worries me even
> more to try
> and add my voice without being miss understood. Resulting causing damaged
> between people who need to work together in order to create equal
> opportunities for all members of society to be a "full
> participating member
> of society".
>
> Well I mustn't feel intimidated so I cannot express my views. So
> I'll have
> a go.
>
> First I will express my interest.
>
> I have very severe dyslexia (diagnosed), AD/HD (diagnosed) AS
> (undiagnosed)
> and CMT type of Muscular Dystrophy (diagnosed). I also have a son with
> AD/HD (diagnosed) and AS (diagnosed). So I believe I'm well qualified to
> express my views.
>
> Is my dyslexia an impairment? Well my CMT is and I'm a wheelchair user my
> hands are badly affected that courses many independent living
> difficulties.
> My dyslexia is very severe unable to write a shopping list without voice
> recognition software or help from someone else.
>
> Under the social model of disability we look at discrimination we receive
> because of our medical condition. I receive many times more
> discrimination
> for my "dyslexia" than I do for my physical impairment.
>
> The local supermarket is well designed for my wheelchair needs
> however quite
> the opposite for my dyslexic needs. So I believe that dyslexia is a true
> disability when its as severe as mine.
>
> In that my physical impairment helps me with my dyslexia! When I need
> petrol for my car I panic not because of the difficulties filling
> my car up
> with petrol either by myself or getting help but just the sheer
> worry that I
> wouldn't be able to read the instructions. As I'm a wheelchair user I ask
> someone to ask the filling station to provide me with help.
>
> Larry is very right in voicing that these medical differences are very
> genuine and very real and can cause huge difficulties participating within
> society on equal terms.
>
> I personally don't think it would be appropriate to use the
> "NeuroDiversity"
> as the heading for people needing support who have these
> differences at this
> time. That isn't because I don't believe this is an appropriate name its
> because I don't believe it will give clear recognition by other members of
> society to make appropriate adaptations to provide equity for us
> in need of
> recognition and changes.
>
> When choosing a name or heading its not only got to be suitable for those
> its representing but it also needs in a language which is can be easily
> identified by the whole of society.
>
> That is why I use the term "hidden impairments" so that it can fit easily
> within the "social model of disability" and can be identified by
> society to
> make appropriate changes to ensure equality.
>
> However maybe tomorrow the name I have been using will be
> redundant and its
> not write for myself or anyone else to dictate what name our differences
> should be. Surely we should get together first before deciding what the
> name should be used to identify ourselves by. And this should
> not be chosen
> by a hand full of people who got together. It should find
> opportunities to
> ensure all members of society who have neurological differences. This is
> why I tried very hard to organise the "AD/HD lilac" conference to
> get people
> together to debate through workshops that what can be published and used
> from a one of event. I didn't receive any e-mail or other correspondents
> from either Larry or Colin with reference to attending or running
> a workshop
> at this event which I personally felt very sad about.
>
> Sometimes the voicing around autistic organisations and dyslexia
> organisations within debates within this forum one thing has been missing.
> The AD/HD groups! The country is full of AD/HD groups hundreds I think!
> Yes they are nearly all set up by "parents" with reference to
> needs of their
> children. Yet many if not the majority of these parents probably have
> undiagnosed AD/HD them selves. This is very much shown within
> the "King of
> the Castle syndrome" that displays among many of these groups. They would
> like to be the number one group and there is so much competitiveness and
> fighting between groups that this prevents energy problem co-ordinated to
> establish universal voicing for services required.
>
> I wonder what the AD/HD groups would make off "NeuroDiversity" would they
> take this on board? Yet they have probably got first hand experience of
> this difference. Personally I think the difficulties is that the very
> nature of many of these neurological differences is we tend to want things
> our own way and this means that we end up with "King of Castle syndrome"
> rather than establishing voicing that is representing all.
>
> Much of Colin mentioned I could identify with and have recognised
> from many
> others who have expressed their difficulties to myself. I can
> also identify
> with very many issues Larry has voiced and often think my brain is very
> similar to Larry's.
>
> However I think conditions like dyslexia are "hidden" because of its
> negative label from the past. And I think we need to establish a better
> recognition for dyslexia as a positive image. At school one can
> be bullied
> badly if you can't read and write in that the teasing can become
> so painful
> that people with dyslexia soon learn many ways of hiding there
> condition. I
> have done this to. It is so difficult when you meet people and
> you have to
> inform them that you can't read or write. I think the
> "NeuroDiversity" may
> also be continuing to hide the real difficulties.
>
> Well I'm sorry my brain is completely gone now need to collect my thoughts
> together. So I will try and continue this again some when else
> but Finnish
> I saying.
>
> I'm dyslexic and this causes me much discrimination and pain from society.
>
> However I'm proud of my skills that I do have and feel that I have much to
> contribute to society. I don't hide the fact that I'm a wheelchair user
> however I don't wish to hide this. When I hide the fact that I'm
> dyslexic I
> feel bad about this because at the end of the day I feel proud of my
> dyslexia because of the achievements it has given me.
>
> I built the "hi2u 4 people with hidden impairments" web site to try and
> provide a tool that can voice difficulties along with providing
> information
> that may support people with hidden impairments find ways of
> moving forward.
>
> I am not designing a site to dictate the future I'm just trying to
> contribute my skills to society and have made it very clear at I would
> welcome articles or views from other members of society my only request on
> this is that its family friendly and would not cause any danger to kids
> visiting.
>
> And I keep asking myself am I also trying to be "King of the Castle" too!
> In fact I'm so worried about how can I identify the difference between
> making a genuine contribution to society or is this trying to be "King of
> the Castle" that I nearly gave up completely with the hi2u site last year.
> Yet I believe this is the most popular site in its category
> outside the USA.
>
> When I first started this started this site I called it "Andy's space for
> madness" and just did this for a joke? Then I got so much e-mail
> I realised
> that I wasn't the only "mad one out there"! It started to
> reshaped into an
> award winning contribution to society.
>
> After saying all this I am not trying to suggest that
> "NeuroDiversity" is a
> heading not to be used far from I wish the group or groups, (not sure if
> Larry and Colin are working together or separately) every success all
> voicing is needed. At the same time I'm unconvinced as to
> weather I wish to
> see " NeuroDiversity" as a national or international heading for my
> differences at this particular time! Maybe been time to come I will think
> differently.
>
>
> Andy
> www.hi2u.org
> hi2u 4 people with hidden impairments
>
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