Hello Ria and list
>
> >In consequence, is a 'positive disabled identity' something that is
> >largely open to people with physical impairments? Are those say with
> >intellectual impairments more likely to experience a 'negative
> >disabled identity'?
>
> That hasn't been my experience. I think it's exposure to some sort of
> disability rights advocacy movement, some sort of disability culture, that
> makes the difference. Or other people with disabilities, and a 'positive
> disabled identity'.
>
During the time when I was working for people with developmental
(intellectual) disabilities providing recreation services, it was apparent
to me that the discourse on disability community and culture
remained somewhat removed from the individuals with disabilities.
Part of the ethos and thus an expectation within the role of recreation
support workers was to 'promote positive images of people with a
disability'. It was 'we' that were facilitating engagement with the wider
community and community resources and facilities; where access to
social, sporting, entertainment, tourism, outdoor recreation, fitness,
arts, and community recreation opportunities (of the general
community) was problematic and thus requiring such facilitation or
support.
Very important roles were that of community educator/ harbingers
and guardians of disability discrimination legislation/ and access
consultants. So it was often only 'us' (and indeed other people
providing support services to people with developmental disabilities)
who enacted this advocacy role and also parents and other relatives.
The notion of a disability community and culture and its implications
for identity and self definition for people with a disability is a critical
debate. The positions within this debate for people with
developmental disabilities, are determined often, by the knowledge,
attitudes, beliefs and thus the perspective of disability support
workers and family. To me its a minefield of potential
misinterpretation and the excercising of the values and beliefs of
people who do not experience disability as self. Not to mention
Government and agency policies.
> >Are there currently any difficulties in achieving solidarity (eg. a
> >sense of community, shared perceptions and goals) between disabled
> >people with different types of impairment?
>
> Yup. A real problem, IMHO.
>
gays and lesbians once saw themselves as poles apart with entirely
different issues. Its been a more recent phenomenon that co-alitions
on all aspects affecting both populations have been formed. The
alliance appears to be successful whilst still maintaining the choice of
association and identity (sorry thats simplistic but ...).
This 'freedom of association' that we all should enjoy is made
unfortunately complicated by the need or expectation to define
boundaries of self definition and representation. The issue of bi-
sexuality as a self defining category is curently under scrutiny.
Many people withing the gay and lesbian community are ambivalent
about its inclusion in 'their' community. Others are outraged at the
'hippocritical nature of the policy of inclusion' and thus this stance of
exclusion.
Are there parallels here?...are they reasonable?
> Last year, a group of us from Melbourne, Australia, worked on a
> participatory action research project looking at disability pride. As one
> way of collecting stories/ideas from people, we set up a discussion board
> at Delphi:
> http://www.delphi.com/disAbilityPride
>
> Hasn't been used much-- but it's there.
I have bookmarked it and looked...i will certainly have a good look
later on...Thanks for that Ria.
> When Katie finishes the research report, I'll post it on the
discussion
> board webpage-- so people can discuss the issues raised in it. I expected
> to have it up by December, but Katie got herself both over-committed and
> pregnant. When she finishes growing her baby, and arranges the support
> services she'll need to care for him/her-- then, the report should be
> finished and posted for discussion.
>
>
> - Ria, with links to all parts of the disability movement-- the mainstream
> movement, the self-advocacy movement, and the Mad movement
>
> --
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> * Ria Strong * Melbourne, Australia *
> * [log in to unmask] * ICQ #5689114 *
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>
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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Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious
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