Well I would have more to say on this and Tom Shakespears post if I were not suffering from a heavy does of "poor bugger me" syndrome at the moment as a result of trying to wring accomodations out of a well known Universtiy.
The trouble is whilst one is engaged in the process of seeking accomodation for what one needs, one has to view everything in the negative impairment way and forget about priniciples and disability pride, it is a soul destroying process.
What really irks me is that I am not actually asking for anything in the most part I regard as special, I don't want differnet treatment I want everybody to have the right to use the same accomodations as me so far as text is concerned because the barriers in respect of academia are often attitudinal as much as everything else.
You shouldn't need a special concession to use technology, to use electonic formats if that suits you or to take an electric wheelchair into a building if that is what you ned.
Sometimes from the NT (in my case) or AB perspective you are castigated for making such a big fuss or being the first to do so, and risk losing out because of the reputation you have thus made for yourself as a troublemaker, however if you suceed yu have at least made a path for others to take without having to take there own small axe to the big tree as Marley (Bob not Jacob) would put it.
The politics of autism are much the same, you are told by some that if you look normal then you can bloody well act normal and pass, and that is the goal for success in this world. Well not for me it aint, that is the road to ruin and becoming everybodys public toilet.
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 07 January 2003 10:39
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Obstacles to identity formation
>
>
> There is a strong minority group identity within the restricted growth
> community but sadly, it has nothing what so ever to do with claiming a
> positive social model disabled identity, more like an identity around
> normal-isation. This can and has created huge issues around identity
> politics and it is not uncommon for many young people who have restricted
> growth to have an identity crisis in their twenties and as a consequence
> suffer from various, usually, depressive illnesses. Of course this is not
> something which is openly discussed in our predominantly elitist
> community.
> Should anyone do so by god they are ostracised as 'not coping with their
> impairment' and their lot in life.
>
> How much is the minimisation of impairment to do with having access to
> resources rather than having an impairment?
>
> I don't drive and my outdoor electric wheelchair has given up on me, this
> will mean that my mobility freedom will be reduced by two thirds
> until and If
> I can sort something else out. Forgive me if I think about my
> impairment
> for a day or two, I can hardly ignore it, particularly when I
> will be stuck
> indoors for half the week!
>
> <As Helen Liggett says, the price of disability politics is that you are
> always speaking from the position of someone with an impairment...>>
>
> The price of a lack of a disability politics perspective is that
> one is not
> speaking from a position of disability pride (and as a
> consequence put the
> emphasis around discrimination onto society rather than blame the
> individual)
> but a position of normal-isation… ask the inward looking, exclusive,
> mainstream, paternalistic, profoundly normalised and medicalised
> Restricted
> Growth Association and it's leaders…
>
> Liz Fetes
>
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