Worried about saying the wrong thing? Accidentally offending someone? You're not alone. The problem is that we can avoid the subject of disability altogether rather than risk using inappropriate terminology. The most important thing is intention. Intending to be supportive and accidentally using the wrong word is more likely to be forgiven if the positive … Continue reading Quick and dirty guide to inclusive terminology
Category: The Social Model of Disability
Last week I was having a big old think. Do some of us only become engaged with inequalities that affect us as individuals? I was more than a little nervous suggesting this. But I got some interesting responses and BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS. Something which always makes me happy. So, without further waffle, here are the 10 … Continue reading Want to learn about diversity and inclusion? 10 books to read…
I don't usually talk about myself in these blogs, but I find myself in the situation of being a living example of the Social Model of Disability. This model is my preferred framework for describing "disability". In short, it suggests that people who have "impairments" (for example, sight or hearing impairments, mobility issues, neurological conditions, … Continue reading Experiencing the Social Model of Disability
A heartfelt and educational "rant" from our very own Jane Hurst (Publicity Officer at Evenbreak): Picture the scene, walking in the park on a nice sunny day with my walking stick, thinking I’m doing quite well at this walking lark actually, and chatting casually with my son, I am approached by a young unfeasibly attractive … Continue reading More Tact, Vicar?
Like most disabled people, I acquired my impairment as an adult. It is a huge adjustment for anyone to make. In some ways it is like a bereavement - you have to grieve for your old life, for the things you can no longer do and for the dreams you can no longer achieve. Only when … Continue reading Review: “Why are you pretending to be normal?”
I'm always keen to help other social enterprises, especially those geared towards helping disabled people, and this is a great one! Stewart White runs "Accessible Britain", and I'll let him tell you all about it: Welcome to Accessible Britain, a new and exciting organisation and website set up by disabled people for disabled … Continue reading How Accessible is Britain? We need your help!
It's really important for us at Evenbreak to keep up to date with all the current news and events regarding disabililty, and this can be very time-consuming, particularly as the media tends to have its own agenda where disability is concerned. Thankfully, there is a service which helps to keep us informed and saves time (I … Continue reading An Essential Service for People Interested in Disability
A slightly dfferent blog today. I'd like to introduce you to two people. The first is a woman who was born with a condition called spinal muscular atrophy which causes general muscle wasting and mobility impairment. It is the most common genetic cause of infant death. Her parents were told it was unlikely she would … Continue reading Different Perspectives.
I found this amazing website called Time to Change, all around ending mental health discrimination through education. The site includes interesting information, case studies, a blog, and many other useful insights. I particularly liked a page looking at myths and facts, busting some common myths such as: Myth: Mental health problems are very rare Fact: Mental … Continue reading Myths around Mental Health
I fought against writing a blog about the Paralympics because I know it will cost me friends! Most have strong feelings one way or another about the Paralympics and of course expect me to agree with them. However, it's not often I sit on the fence about anything disability-related, but I really have very mixed … Continue reading The Paralympics – good or bad for disabled people?
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