3 Reasons Why You Might Not Talk to the Guy in the Wheelchair — And Why I Wish You Would November 6, 2019 by Ryan_Arnold Leave a Comment I have to overcome a lot of issues related to my disability. I was born with cerebral palsy, so I’ve encountered challenges from day one. When you add the fact that I'm a gay man living in the Deep South, a lot of times it’s hard just to live. I’ve only had two romantic relationships in my life. The first was for a little over two years, and my second and most recent one … [Read more...]
Seeking Great-Aunt Sarah: Learning From the Abuse of My Disabled Ancestor July 27, 2019 by Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg Leave a Comment Great-aunt Sarah, age 12 [Image description: This 1921 black-and-white photograph shows the author's great-aunt Sarah as a girl of 12 standing on the grounds of a state school in Wrentham, MA. She is a white girl with shoulder-length brown hair pulled back on the top with a large bow. Her dress is white and extends below her knees, and she is wearing leather lace-up shoes. She … [Read more...]
Healing the Disconnect and Starting a Revolution: Eating Disorders and Disability February 25, 2019 by Christie Ladner, Guest Writer and Erica A. Dixon, Guest Writer Leave a Comment In honor of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, TBINAA will feature stories that explore eating disorders at the intersections of our identities, sharing stories about ED from the groups that are often absent from the discussion. We believe that there must be space to tell the story of EVERY body and we are grateful to those who have shared their stories with us, so that … [Read more...]
Dear Younger Self: Reflections on Being 25, Disabled, and Learning To Love Yourself August 20, 2018 by Karin Hitselberger, Guest Writer Leave a Comment This article originally appeared in the blog Claiming Crip and is reprinted by permission. Dear 15-year-old Karin, I can’t believe I’m 25! I’m not going to lie, when I was your age I never thought I would make it here, and I definitely never thought I might actually like myself (gasp!). Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad days. There are still some things I wish I could … [Read more...]
How A “Special” Dance Class Helped Me Find My Beauty July 15, 2018 by Cara Liebowitz Leave a Comment Confession time: even though I shout disability pride and loving your body from the rooftops to anyone who cares to listen, I still have a certain amount of hatred for my legs. I have cerebral palsy, which means my legs have a particular golf-club-like quality to them. Long, rigid legs end in an ankle that doesn’t really move and a foot that resembles a plank of wood. My toes … [Read more...]