Tag: Disability

  • In the Blog

    Sins Invalid: ‘An unshamed claim to beauty in the face of invisibility’

    February 29th, 2012     by Julia Horel     Comments

    New College Speaker Series 2012, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario & The School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University, presents: Performance excerpts from Sins Invalid ‘An unshamed claim to beauty in the face of invisibility’ Featuring performances by: Alex Cafarelli, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Maria Palacios and Leroy Moore Saturday March 17 2012 - 7pm Art Gallery of Ontario, Weston Family Learning Centre 317 Dundas St. West Toronto, ON Beverly Street Entrance Facebook event link here. FREE admission ASL interpretation Wheelchair accessible Attendant care Sponsored by: … READ MORE

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    If I Can’t Dance, Is it Still My Revolution? An interview with AJ Withers

    January 19th, 2012     by Kate-Christine Miller     Comments

    AJ Withers is a Canadian Disability Activist whose zine “If I Can’t Dance, Is it Still My Revolution?” had a profound effect on me as a disabled person and activist. After reviewing the zine and website for Shameless magazine (the Labour issue, out this week!) I wanted to connect with AJ and hear more about radical disability activism. Specifically, I wanted to know what it takes to build solidarity, among and with disabled people, how … READ MORE

  • In the Blog

    An Intersectional RSVP

    November 28th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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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    Toronto: “From Blahs to Bliss”: Expressive Arts Therapy group

    October 11th, 2011     by Julia Horel     Comments

    Planned Parenthood Toronto is happy to share with you its latest expressive arts therapy group, “From Blahs to Bliss,” for youth experiencing anxiety and/or depression. From Blahs to Bliss … and everything in between Finding Your Balance A closed expressive-arts therapy group for youth (up to age 29) dealing with depression and/or anxiety. When: Fridays, 1:30pm-4:00pm, Oct 14-Dec 2 Where: Bloor and Spadina area TTC tokens available and light refreshments provided. Free of charge. Space is limited. (This is not a drop-in … READ MORE

  • In the Blog

    A Disability Back-to-School Guide

    September 30th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    When Working is Radical

    September 7th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    Centering Disability and Accessibility

    August 30th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    What I Wish Non-Disabled People Would Understand

    July 6th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    The Myth of Informed Consent

    June 29th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    I Want to Ride a Bicycle . . .

    May 30th, 2011     by Shaunta Grimes     Comments

    When I was a kid, my bike was more than a toy. It was a beautiful white beach cruiser that represented freedom and independence. Then I got a driver’s license, and a couple of years later a husband and a baby. I didn’t need my bike anymore. At least, I didn’t think so. It took twenty years for me to get another bike. I honestly didn’t expect that once I did, I’d have the same sense … READ MORE

  • In the Blog

    A White Coat Doesn’t Make You an Expert

    May 18th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    The Missing Voices in the Anti-Violence Movement

    May 4th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    Why My Hearing Aid is a Political Statement

    April 19th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

  • In the Blog

    Meet Shoshana!

    April 18th, 2011     by Shoshana Erlich     Comments

    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

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