I Was Surprised When this Common Question Triggered Me (how I discovered I’m a “Scrooge”)

20 Dec

Wow, the holidays are tough. We all know this. It’s a wonder we all voluntarily do it year after year. The parties. The decorations. The fudge. One of the things we accept about this time of year is that we’re … Read More »

Classism and Disability

15 Nov

From the Oxford English Dictionary: in·ter·sec·tion·al·i·ty /ˌin(t)ərsekSHəˈnalədē/ noun noun: intersectionality; plural noun: intersectionalities the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent … Read More »

What “Passing” Means to a Disabled Person

24 Oct

My busy season has yielded some great ideas. More than ever, I’m actively revising and tweaking my presentations before each college visit. These changes come out of things like Q&A sessions, special advance requests, ad libs while I’m speaking … … Read More »

What’s Your Motivation Style?

10 Oct

My newest speaking program on disabilities covers universal design. With that existing, a trend in my bookings this fall is colleges and universities asking me to incorporate my content on universal design with my flagship awareness program, as an extended … Read More »

What is “Illness Shaming”? … and How to Knock It Off

6 Sep

I want to talk about stigma. When I do my presentations, I actually come out and outright reject the word stigma, because the actual definition is something like, “a mark of disgrace.” Yeah, that this someone has an actual mark … Read More »

When I Have Zero Bandwidth for Other People’s Problems

22 Aug

So your boss is being a jerk again. You had a fight with your girlfriend. Your new alternator is going to cost $300. Sorry, but today, I don’t care. I just can’t. Not because *I’m* a jerk. But because I … Read More »

The Link Between Having a Disability and Parenting a Child with a Disability

10 Jul

Sunday night, in a small town in Montana, I met a really incredible woman. She’s the cousin of another friend I made in this town, and when he introduced us, and she asked what I do for work, she immediately … Read More »