DEAR FOLKS:
My name is Robin Coupland Jutzi; I am an English professor at Nipissing
University, in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. I am currently helping the Young
People's Press organize a disabilities section.
Young People's Press is a Canadian "press bureau" to give young persons in
Canada a chance to have access to the mainstream press: to give them a
chance to present their ideas, in their own way, on their own terms without
being controlled or interpreted through the eyes of "adult" journalists. Our
goal is to provide access to the media for a group of people who have been
prevented from participating in public discourse to discuss their concerns
and to share their perspectives on the world. Although the Young People's
Press has only been in operation for a year, we have already published 200
stories in over 80 daily newspapers throughout Canada, including all the
major papers, such as the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the Vancouver
Province, the Edmonton Journal and the Montreal Gazette.
As someone who has lived with a serious medical disability (cystic
fibrosis) for 37 years, I can vouch that no one has been left out of the
mainstream than those of us who live with disabilities. Aside from all the
difficulties of becoming productive adults in an increasingly competitive,
complex and dehumanizing society, we have to deal with all the added problems
of matching our employment to our "handicap", dating and marriage concerns,
social integration, family stresses, issues of "wholeness" and so forth.
Moreover, since the mainstream world (and media) does not have to deal with
our "private" concerns, we feel isolated because no one "out there" knows
what it is like to struggle with what we through on a daily basis. Someone
from my disability's list eloquently voiced this concern: "It is difficult to
talk about myself and CF. I usually keep to myself because I feel different
than my peers."
Part of the goal of this project is to give those of us with disabilities a
chance to share our perspectives, our vision of the world to the mainstream
society. Through promoting understanding, we hope to feel more comfortable
"being ourselves" in the world around us.
This is why the Young People's Press has started a special disabilities
section: to give us a chance to tell our stories: to say what it is like
growing up with a disability, the special problems we face, the daily
triumphs we celebrate as we go through each day. Partly, it is a chance to
see our own perspectives and concerns represented in the mainstream media.
Partly, it is a chance to do public education in the mainstream press, to
tell others what it is like to live, struggle and triumph with living with a
disability.
We are looking for stories by or about Canadian young persons (16-30) who
are living with a disability. These stories can describe the daily tasks of
living and the complications that one's own particular disability poses. Or
one can talk about relationships with parents, siblings, friends,
romantic partners and spouses and how the relationship has been affected and
enriched by living with a disability. Or one can talk about school
experiences, vocational struggles and workplace issues and how one has coped
with the complications of making a living while living with a disability.
Or one could share experiences of misunderstandings, prejudice and social
barriers to trying to live a full life with one' s disability. (The
international e-mail group for my disability has a special section
called "stupid comments"!) Finally, I would hope that people are free to
share their dreams. One of the hardest thing for people with disabilities
to discuss is their dreams: their hopes for careers, families, potential
medical breakthoughs...But we can't let our particular disability rob us of
our futures; we need to share our hopes with each other and the rest of the
world! This can be your forum share your dreams.
WHAT WE WILL DO:
Any stories or leads received will be responded to. Some stories will
be sent, perhaps with editing, to Young People's Press media outlets in
newspapers throughout Canada. Other stories may be included in articles
which speak about concerns which are common to many disabilities or are
specific to any particular disability. (Workplace. Schools. How to
tell a friend you have an invisible disability. Dating...) Some may focus on
issues; others will focus on outstanding individuals who have triumphed and
succeeded in making their way in the world. Others can focus on the dreams of
young persons with disabilities.
Sometimes, you may say something that we may want to do a story on. We may
ask you to write a story yourself. Or we may email you back and arrange
an interview by email or phone, or have one of our young reporters meet with
you for a face-to-face interview. Every contribution will be responded to
with absolute respect and, if you wish it, anonymity.
If you want to write a story, or want to be interviewed for a story, or know
of someone who would be an interesting topic of a story, please contact us
via email. We look forward to hearing from you!
HOW TO RESPOND?
Write a whole story? Email it to me.
Write an anecdote about: education? career planning? jobs? family? dating?
marriage? stupid comments? (doctors, teachers, any-old-idiots?) Fears?
Frustrations? dreams? --- Email them to me and I will archive them and maybe
use them.
Willing to be interviewed (mention topics) by email or by phone? email me.
Some of the topics we will be focusing on in the immediate future:
--Career planning\ jobs
--Dating (fears, prejudices, joys)
--Stupid comments, prejudice
Again, thanks to any and all who are willing to help out in this project!
--Robin Jutzi, PhD
Nippising University
&
Disabilities Editor, Young People's Press
I can be reached at the following email address:
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