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 …...
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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...
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4 Ways I Reset My Optimism During a Flare

26 Apr
I’ve finished a marathon. In the last 12 weeks, I spoke in 5 states: at 11 college campuses and 1 Native pueblo. I debuted a brand new program and customized existing programs for unique audiences, like non-native-English speakers and veterans....
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6 Ways to Include Universal Design at Your Holiday Event

12 Dec
accessible space for invisible disabilities
Universal design is most widely known for inspiring ramps, curb cuts, and elevators that help people with mobility restrictions get around in our world. It means, literally, design for all. But as is often the case regarding people with disabilities,...
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a chapter from the book I’m working on

30 Aug
I can attribute a single action by my friend Phil for the end of my comedy career, my teaching career, and a marriage. It became so that when he greeted me, he’d never say “Hi”; he always just said, “I’m...
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What’s better than saying “hello”? This….

11 Dec
A Khmer woman expressing arkoun on top of Phimeanakas Temple, of the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia
I try not to be the American jerk who shows up to another country and doesn’t bother to learn a spec of their language. So when I took my most recent international birthday adventure, I had ambitious plans to brush...
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