“Living Breathing Intersectionality” By Whitney A. Ford

Intersectionality is defined as “the interconnected nature of social organizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage” according to Oxford Languages Dictionary. The intersectionality theory, was developed by Kimberle’ Williams Crenshaw, an African American lawyer, Civil Rights … Continue reading “Living Breathing Intersectionality” By Whitney A. Ford →

“Getting ‘old’ is a privilege” By Dr. Josie Badger

I toss and turn, trying to find any position to get away from the pain. The compounding years of living with a 90° angle in my back wears in my body. Potential arthritis, hypothyroidism… the list continues to grow. As a person with a disability, our bodies often age faster. I hear people around me … Continue reading “Getting ‘old’ is a privilege” By Dr. Josie Badger →

“Pills, Pups, and the Pandemic” By Dr. Rachel Kallem Whitman

Let me start off by saying mental illness and pandemics are friends. Actually, not just friends, best friends, who share the same passion: making people sick. COVID-19 is threatening and devastating the health and livelihood of so many people. We’re not just wrestling with boredom and demands for bangs, we’re straddling a scary line between … Continue reading “Pills, Pups, and the Pandemic” By Dr. Rachel Kallem Whitman →

“Stay Calm and Keep Fighting” Disability peer advice during COVID19- By Anomie Fatale

Taking maximum precautions against catching a globalized pandemic when you are among the at-risk population is not over-reacting or panicking. As members of this vulnerable group, stocking up at home sufficiently with necessary supplies and staying quarantined from outside potential exposures is a life sustaining activity. Unfortunately for us with home health care, being quarantined … Continue reading “Stay Calm and Keep Fighting” Disability peer advice during COVID19- By Anomie Fatale →

Smart Home Living

Hands holding a cell phone with a house icon, and the graphic shows signals beaming out from the house in all directions -- this is superimposed on an image of a living room with furniture bookshelves, a painting on the wall, and an open French window

My husband and I bought our first home in December 2015 and spent that Christmas Eve sleeping on the floor on an air mattress with a tiny light up tree. Although it was not elegant or even very accessible, it was exciting. I woke up Christmas morning expecting exciting presents, maybe some new shoes or … Continue reading Smart Home Living →

Advocacy

Part 2 of "Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability" published July 2019. Years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I had finally begun to accept my disability and my limitations, when I met my friend and greatest mentor, Richard Meritzer, who introduced me to the amazing world that … Continue reading Advocacy →

Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability

Hi. My name is Alisa Grishman. I’m 37 years old, I’m disabled, and I love it. Giving you a moment here to digest that… My disability is as beautiful to me as my storm cloud-grey eyes and my tattoos, and just as how I get annoyed at my hair for being frizzy or notice the … Continue reading Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability →

Finding Your Own Way: Dignity of Risk

by Everett Deibler Almost all of us have had a parent or guardian utter the words, “Just wait until you get older; you will understand.” As a teenager with Cerebral Palsy in a single parent household, I thought I would never understand why my mother made me do things that, as she would say, “will … Continue reading Finding Your Own Way: Dignity of Risk →

Significantly Able to Work: Employment for the Significantly Disabled

Josie Badger sits with cohorts of the #IWantToWork campaign.

by Dr. Josie Badger As an individual with a significant physical disability—requiring the use of a ventilator, power wheelchair, and 24-hour care—it was difficult to identify a career where I could maintain my physical health while being employed full time. In relatively recent history, individuals with more significant physical disabilities are surviving and thriving. Although … Continue reading Significantly Able to Work: Employment for the Significantly Disabled →

Managing Independence

by Heather Tomko Growing up with a disability meant a different kind of parent-child relationship than a lot of my friends. My parents were my parents, but until I left for college, they were also my sole caregivers. In some ways, it was great – there’s always someone around when you need help, and I … Continue reading Managing Independence →