Hi everyone
In response to Mairian's and Dona's recent postings and I guess,
also my own, I would like to see more discussion on the the
"dovetailing" of the issues for parents of people with disabilities and
disability studies and the dilemma of approriate forums for the such
discussion. There is an 'uncomfortableness' as Mairian stated,
about the prominence of agendas.
I would like to hear comments because I am so ambivalent myself.
One one hand I can see that having a 'space' - even an exclusive
space for people with disabilities to discuss disability studies is really
very important to maintain. I can also see that the issues for parents
are different to the issues for people with a disability and perhaps in
some cases, contrary. But I can also see that the parents of people
who have a disability (affecting ability to participate in these sort of
forums) are in someway, disabled voices by proxy. In many areas
of the child's (and adult's) life, parents will have been required to be
the person with a disability by proxy. I would suggest that they may
be the only people willing and able to advocate for the needs and
rights of their children in day to day negotiations with myriad service
providers.
Be all that as it may, is there any possibility of coalition, alliance or
any other sort of partnership? Should the discussion be segregated?
Is it possible for parents and other people who may not have a
disability to contribute to disability studies without placing themselves
in the narrative?
I admit my ambivalence and I do not want to see a them against us
discussion. I am much more interested in how to dovetail neatly.
Best regards
Laurence Bathurst
School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Sydney
P.O. Box 170
Lidcombe NSW 2141
Australia
Phone: (62 1) 9351 9509
Fax: (62 1) 9351 9166
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Please visit the School's interim web site at
http://www.ot.cchs.usyd.edu.au
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