Ever since I was a young girl, I have sought out disability representation in the media, entertainment, and fashion industries. As a born performer and lover of the creative arts, these industries have always had me in a chokehold of sorts.
But more importantly, they passively inform our entire society about the things they should and should not care about at any given time of the day, month, year, decade, or century.
That might sound rather intense, but it’s 100% true.
Today’s word is “spaz.” Keep reading to learn why this word is inherently ableist and discover alternatives you can begin to use in its place.
3 years ago this week, I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with my BA in English and a minor in Business Economics
After graduating, I founded The Rolling Explorer, a blog dedicated to sharing my experiences as a disabled, young woman living in the 21st century
As a disabled model, to be asked to walk a runway during London Fashion Week was a dream come true. But as incredible as the experience was, it showed me how much work still needs to be done within the fashion industry to be a truly inclusive space for the disability community.
When you use the word “lame” to describe something, what do you usually mean? For me, “lame” always meant that something was boring or uncool. But, if you take notice of the definitions above, you’ll see that these synonyms are not the word’s true meanings.
Insane Definition:
in a state of mind which prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill.
(of an action or quality) characterized or caused by madness.
extremely annoyed.
extremely foolish; irrational.
shocking; outrageous.
Inclusive representation is a new trend. Ensuring that the media we consume reflects the world we live in accurately has only really been on people’s minds for the last ten or so years. And, while improvements are being made, there are many places were representation is still severely lacking.
Let me just start off today’s blog post by saying this: It is 100% natural and valid to hate this pandemic and all the pain it’s caused around the world, but still be nervous for it to end. Post-Covid anxieties are very real and should be taken seriously. Not only do many of them highlight parts of our society’s structure that could be improved, but they also matter to several people you love and care about.
Today, I am sharing my list of post-covid anxieties as a chronically ill and disabled young woman in order to get people thinking about the ways we can ensure a return to normalcy doesn’t impede on people’s ability to live.
Today’s words are “idiot and idiotic.” Keep reading to learn why these words are inherently ableist and discover alternatives you can begin to use in their place.
Last week, I had the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do. On Thursday, April 1st, 2021, I spoke on a Disability Pride Panel for the Disability and Human Development Undergraduate Student Association at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was such an incredible experience and I am very grateful to have been asked to be a part of the event.
Because this Disability Pride Panel was hosted by a student organization at UIC, attendance was not open to the public. Though I was disappointed more people didn’t have access to the wonderful dialogue taking place, the small numbers allowed more time for questions and discussion.
Since this was my first time speaking on a panel, specifically a disability pride panel, I thought it would be fruitful to share my thoughts and feelings on the event. By doing so, I hope other institutions and organizations can learn about the importance of events like this one and hopefully host their own versions in the future.
Without further ado, here are the top 4 things I learned from speaking on UIC’s Disability Pride Panel.