Marxism, devotees and why can't some people who have a disability, say the word disability?

By -
There's a new talkshow out from BBC Ouch and this one is an eclectic mix of subjects. Fortunately the guests were all up for conversation so it happily bounces along. I should warn you, it's got some adult content. There's an exploratory conversation about devotees (people who find a physical impairment sexy in itself) and we sail close to the wind with that. Another guest suggests capitalism inherently discriminates against disabled people and Marxism might be better and so has written a book about it. We also continue the ever evolving debate over what's the correct terminology when talking about disability and why do some people who have one, (a disability or impairment) still struggle to say the word 'disability'? 
Hope you like it.

Popular posts from this blog

Dwarfism and the ethics of humour

By -
Image
Disability Arts Cymru event Friday 24th July 2020 I was asked to speak at an event, along with Dr Erin Pritchard, who I believe instigated it, and Tammy Reynolds. There are two paragraphs explaining the topic below and then my response.  Please note - there are references to depression and suicide in this piece.  Dwarfism and the ethics of humour "Why is it that people who are shorter than the ‘average’ person, people born with a variety of conditions under the medical banner of ‘dwarfism’ are so often seen as the butt of the joke, an easy target to make fun of. As children many will experience bullying, some to such an extent that they become suicidal.  Yet, there is an industry that exploits people with dwarfism to act in shows such as Snow White and the Seven  Dwarfs, once being doubly exploited as they were filmed for a TV show about the seven cast members living in a house together as if that’s especially interesting to watch people go up and down stairs, ope
Read more

Truth Bullets and Thought Grenades

By -
Image
Whilst delivering training ( Managing Mental Health  in the time of Covid) we were discussing what has been tough this year. One delegate explained lockdown's impact on her work wasn't that novel as being freelance in the creative industries meant her work always fluctuated. However, she said she was exhausted, not because of Covid stresses but because she had spent the second half of the year explaining and educating people, who increasingly asked her about being a black person. She said this took more effort than anything else she’d experienced this year. It reminded me of being on a panel on International Day of Disabled People convened as part of Purple Space’s 24 hour worldwide broadcast. It was a rather illustrious panel with representatives from the World Health Organisation, International Labour Organization and the European Union and hosted by the razor-sharp Susan Scott-Parker . I was asked to explore if we could measure the progress of disability rights by the pr
Read more

Mental Health in the time of Covid 19 - a training course

By -
Image
Spend a couple of minutes thinking about the answers to these questions.  What’s working ok for work and for home? What’s difficult? What do you do to make yourself happy?                         OK, I’ve thought about it. Here’s mine... Understated mug Work - Like many, I’m working from home. For me that means delivering virtual training. I’ve bought a fan to cool me as my office area gets hot. I have acquired two understated mugs so, during video calls I look professional and not a teenager with a Simpsons or Snoopy mug. I like my ‘commute’ from the kitchen to the office.  Home - Communication with my family is way more than usual. Video calls, audio calls, even the odd card or letter. I like that. I sleep a bit more.  Difficult - The loss of human contact, someone in the same room, a handshake, a hug, a wink. I miss going to dinner with an interesting person, not seeing theatre or ballet. I miss not having these in my diary to look forward to. I long for
Read more