Posts by Shoshana Erlich
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In the Blog
The Costs of Conforming
One of the things that continually astounds me about being disabled is just how incredibly expensive it is. Almost no matter what area of life you look at, it costs more to be disabled. While it doesn’t surprise me, it also infuriates me how little recognition there is of that fact. There is virtually no recognition that as a young disabled person, my cost of living is exponentially higher than a non-disabled person’s. Despite the fact … READ MORE
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In the Blog
A Disabled Haircut?
Yesterday I got a haircut. For most people this sentence is seemingly innocuous, perhaps offered as a response to someone asking “What’s new?” or traded in other casual conversation. For me, it brought home a really powerful lesson of how no matter what I do, no matter how seemingly innocent or normal my activities might be, it is impossible to separate out me from my disabilities. While it would seem silly to say that I got … READ MORE
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In the Blog
To the Guy at Yonge and Dundas
To the Guy at Yonge and Dundas: Hi, I’m a bit new at this, having come a bit late to the physical disabilities side of this game, so forgive me if I don’t sound grateful for what you did or something. I think it’s part of the privilege that goes with having grown up in a disabled bodied that has always managed to pass as able-bodied. I have some expectation of my own independence and right to … READ MORE
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In the Blog
An Intersectional RSVP
Dear Event Organizers: I sincerely appreciate your open invitation to attend your event on this important issue, however, I find that I must respectfully decline. As an activist with a complex identity, it is difficult for me to condone attending an event that, while seeking to explain and draw interest into a matter that is very near and dear to my heart, has managed to ensure that my participation in your event will be virtually impossible. While I … READ MORE
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In the Blog
A Disability Back-to-School Guide
September often brings with it a slew of back-to-school guides. It comes with tips for everything from how to handle your kindergartener’s first day of school to entire books full of transition tips for those just entering their first year of college or university. Being a student with a disability in post-secondary education can be pretty confusing, and even though most schools are willing to walk you through some of the basics, there are lots … READ MORE
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In the Blog
When Working is Radical
It seems that I am something of a radical. That the things that I think, believe in and work towards are such a shift from the patterns currently entrenched in society that I am often mocked for my views and my tireless belief that eventually, we can get there. This summer, I had my radicalism confirmed by something that was decidedly non-radical. I decided that as a student, I needed a summer job. At the time, … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Centering Disability and Accessibility
Recently I was asked to attend an event. I was quite interested in the topic, and given some of my recent work experience I was actually really excited about the event. The person who asked me to be there is one of the main organizers, and so when I knew I would be able to be there for sure, I let them know that given the size of the event, I would need interpreters in … READ MORE
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In the Blog
What I Wish Non-Disabled People Would Understand
Sometimes having a disability can be incredibly frustrating. There are times where it outright sucks so much you want to pound your fists into the wall and cry. There are times when you wish more than anything else that people around you understood what it was like and that they didn’t treat disability like it was some kind of bomb about to go off in their faces if they get too close. After spending the … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Myth of Informed Consent
One thing that you find out pretty quickly when you have a disability is that the moment that label is applied to you, you never really get to own or control your body again. There are lots of different ways that doctors can control your body when you have a disability. For example, they can place a hold on you which declares you a danger to yourself and others and that means that you are … READ MORE
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Web Features
D.I.Y. Planter
Many of us are concerned about food security and where our food is coming from. Much of the world’s food is imported and exported, and big factory farms consistently use only a few different varieties of seeds, which leads to far less biodiversity overall. This means that we are risking losing important heritage varieties of fruits and veggies. Some of the best ways to combat these huge issues is to ease our reliance on the imported … READ MORE
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In the Blog
A White Coat Doesn’t Make You an Expert
Like it or not, disability is irrevocably tied to the medical community. I’d like to take some space over the next few posts to explore how disability and medicine collide. For today, I’d like to start by challenging the role of doctors as experts. Don’t get me wrong; I am not anti-doctor. Like most people, I have had some excellent doctors, and I have had some pretty terrible ones as well. Mostly I am against the … READ MORE
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In the Blog
The Missing Voices in the Anti-Violence Movement
This past week I had the pleasure of engaging in a conversation about sexual violence with some awesome young women. It really was a pleasure since I think that this is a topic that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough, and there is far too much silence on the topic. In fact, the majority of the conversation focused around the barriers that prevent young women from openly discussing sexual violence. As awesome as the conversation was, … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Why My Hearing Aid is a Political Statement
Sometimes having a disability sucks. It isn’t always about the ableist attitudes of others, sometimes just living in a world where there are things other people can do that you can’t is really crappy too. Not to mention all of the technology that goes along with being disabled, whether it is a white cane, voice to speech or speech to voice software, a wheelchair, crutches or a hearing aid. Virtually any disability comes with some … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Meet Shoshana!
Hey Everyone! I’m Shoshana and it is super exciting to be joining everyone in the conversation happening here at Shameless! I’m going to be talking about disability and the many ways that it plays out in all of our lives. I have been disabled for most of my life, but I’m still pretty new to the disabled community. For me it is really interesting how even though I’ve been able to fall under the disability umbrella in terms … READ MORE
