“Stop…” A Poem: Disability Day of Mourning 2016
March 2, 2016 at 11:58 pm 1 comment
Note of explanation- March 1 is Disability Community Day of Mourning for all those infants, children and adults with disabilities killed by caregivers, parents, police- personally I’d also include anyone who committed suicide (with assistance or alone) because society told them too many times that their life was not worth living.
Today I share this poem, originally published in June 2013, to witness and remember the lives of Disabled people killed by their parents and caregivers… Stop.. Stop …
Source: “Stop…” A Poem: Disability Day of Mourning 2016
Entry filed under: Disability Rights, Uncategorized.
The Lefthander's Path 
1.
fearlesslyonwards | March 3, 2016 at 3:16 am
Full disclosure: I have a psycho-social disability, my son has multiple diagnoses including Autism and an intellectual disability, and I volunteer with adults who have disabilities.
THE hardest thing about my son’s disabilities is not the still-toilet-training-at-13 or the self-harm or the meltdowns or the communication issues; it’s other people. It’s the stares and whispers (I stare back, and I do not whisper.) and the lack of support services (I’m a single parent on the disability pension and services COST.) and the ablest norm meaning that often accessible toilets are WITHIN gendered bathrooms (Kiddo is a boy and I’m a non-binary trans person who is currently ‘read’ as female so how the hells am I meant to help him in the loo?) and the medical professionals who casually use ablest slurs in conversation (I shut that shit down HARD.) and did I mention the lack of services?! The government body here who is funded to provide supports for people with disability is stalling and refusing to provide services we absolutely qualify for because their ACTUAL job is to provide as few services as possible. I can’t even get them to return a phone call or email!
My son has diagnoses – society has the fucking problem.
Sorry, I didn’t come here just to rage all over your blog. This is something that resonates deeply with me. Thank you for the reminder about March 1st. This is so important.