Miscellaneous
This is where we can share miscellaneous links to sites or other resources that don't "fit" on the other pages. There are links directly related to spinal cord injury , while others are not. The main idea is to share resources that have the potential for making a positive impact on the lives of our peers.
Please Note: we may include our names on these pages, everyone else will be identified as “Contributor” or “Peer” unless express permission has been given. If you have any comments or feedback on anything posted, please contact us.
Subject: YOOCAN
Posted: May 6, 2022
YOOCAN
Melanie: Check out this organization. There is A LOT here. The power of community and the power of peers. By sharing we can make meaningful connections.
If there is an organization or individual you think we should post about, let us know!
YOOCAN: What is YOOCAN? We believe that shared experiences and knowledge from around the world can inspire people with disabilities and change their lives, so no one feels alone. With thousands of yoocan community members making daily connections, finding new friendships and relevant solutions, we are the world’s #1 collaborative community for sharing experiences and knowledge for and by people with disabilities.
Subject: Disability Studies Quarterly "6 Ways of Looking at Crip Time", by Ellen Samuels
Posted: May 6, 2022
Disability Studies Quarterly "6 Ways of Looking at Crip Time", by Ellen Samuels
Melanie: A powerful reflection. Ellen shares her experience with "Crip Time".
Ellen Samuels: When disabled folks talk about crip time, sometimes we just mean that we're late all the time—maybe because we need more sleep than nondisabled people, maybe because the accessible gate in the train station was locked. But other times, when we talk about crip time, we mean something more beautiful and forgiving.
Ellen's Bio: Ellen Samuels is a disability writer and scholar and Associate Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies and English at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Her books include Fantasies of Identification: Disability, Gender, Race (NYU Press, 2014) and a forthcoming poetry collection Hypermobilities (The Operating System, 2021). Her critical and creative writing appears in dozens of journals and anthologies, including Signs, GLQ, South Atlantic Quarterly, Disability Studies Quarterly, Disability Visibility, Brevity, Copper Nickel, Mid-American Review, and Journal of the American Medical Association. She has received the Catherine Stimpson Prize for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship and two Lambda Literary Awards. She lives in Madison, WI with her partner, son, and dog.
Subject: Disability in the Ancient World
Posted: November 26, 2021
Disability in the Ancient World
BBC Sounds Podcast: You're Dead To Me, Episode: Disability in the Ancient World (Released October 29th, 2021)
Melanie: My sister Meagan listens to a number of very interesting podcasts. She listened to this one recently and passed it along to me. I thought it was very informative and very funny (thanks to the comedic stylings of Rosie Jones). If you have any podcasts you'd like to share, please let us know.
Description: Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Rosie Jones and historian Dr Jane Draycott to discuss stories of disability from over a thousand years of history, including people with disabilities excelling on the battlefield and others with very well-dressed guide dogs.
Melanie: At the beginning of the episode, Dr Jane Draycott clarifies the language she uses by stating "...the World Health Organization's differentiation between the terms impairment and disability, where impairment designates the condition and disability designates the consequences for the individual...". This could lead to a great conversation! Wallace talks about disability being a societal construct. He believes that disability is not an inherent quality of the individual, but rather the result of the environment one might find themselves in. For example, his use of a wheelchair only become a disability when physical barriers prevent access. Want to have a discussion about this? Let us know.
Subject: How to solve a problem like accessible parking misuse
Posted: July 28, 2021
How to solve a problem like accessible parking misuse
Wallace & Melanie: It can be frustrating finding an accessible parking spot. Even more frustrating when we see people walking, jogging, or running and hopping into a car parked in an accessible space - especially when there are standard parking spots right beside the accessible parking spots. Rick Hansen wrote a great article on this (see link below).
All you have to do is park in a parking lot and watch how the accessible spots are used or misused. This includes being the designated spot to plow snow into in the winter.
It would be great to have different symbols on permits that would then match up with different signage. Accessible Signage #1 for Standard Width Parking Spots: when someone’s accessibility needs means needing a parking space close to a door and a standard width space is adequate because they do not use accessibility devices requiring a wide parking spot. Accessible Signage #2 for Wide Width Parking Spots: when someone’s accessibility needs means needing a wide parking spot to accommodate ramps and to ensure doors can be opened fully for mobility devices like walkers and wheelchairs. Having some close to an entrance is good, but more could be put throughout the parking lot.
So would two styles suffice? Standard width spots for people who need to be close to the door and wide width spaces for those using mobility devices? What do you think?
It’s important for us to be responsible with our parking permits. If someone has a temporary permit, they should stop using it when they no longer physically need it, not when it expires. Only use an accessible parking spot when you NEED to. If I am not getting out of my car, I park in a standard spot while Melanie runs into a store, leaving the accessible spot free for someone who NEEDS it.
Subject: Rogers “Connected for Success”
Posted: June 8, 2021
Rogers “Connected for Success”
Melanie: The SCIO webinars are are good source of information. During the March Peer Town Hall they referenced a social responsibility initiative that Rogers has implemented called “Connected for Success”.
Their site reads “Connected for Success offers high-speed, low-cost internet across Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland to subsidized tenants, seniors, families with children and to individuals receiving disability and income support.”
This program is limited to those who are tenants of a non-profit housing partner organization, or recipients of Ontario Disabilities Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works (OW), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or a recipient of the maximum child care benefit. For more information, visit their site.
Subject: the documentary “Crip Camp”
Posted: May 27, 2021
Crip Camp
Wallace & Melanie: We love this documentary. Period.
“In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp “for the handicapped” in the Catskills, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and makeout sessions awaiting everyone, and campers who felt fulfilled as human beings. Their bonds endured as they migrated West to Berkeley, California — a promised land for a growing and diverse disability community — where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption and unity might secure life-changing accessibility for millions.” Netflix
Subject: Life Advice from Disabled People
Posted: May 18, 2021
Life Advice from Disabled People
Melanie: In my search for yoga instructors who use a wheelchair, the brilliant folks at SCIO pointed me towards Ben Clark from Adapt to Perform (ATP). While checking out the vast number of free videos available on their YouTube channel, I came across this video. I enjoyed it and thought I should pass it on. I have also added ATP to our Sports and Leisure page.
Subject: Tetra Society
Posted: April 21, 2021
Tetra Society
Melanie: I took part in a SCIO Peer Connection workshop today (4/21/21) and it was amazing! Unfortunately I was late arriving so I missed the first 15 minutes. SCIO are hosting another event with them next week (4/28/21) and I have signed up so I can catch the first bit.
The session description for today read “Re-imagine what is possible. That is the vision of the Tetra Society, a group of volunteer engineers who design custom aids to overcome environmental barriers. Join us and see what they can create that would help you live more independently. Whether to assist you in accessing opportunities in your recreational activity, workspace or home, they may have the solution”
Because it is volunteer based, the only cost to you is for the supplies needed to design and build the “solution”. How remarkable is that? If we find out more about them, we will let you know.
Subject: For the Needy, Not the Greedy Medical Equipment & Supplies
Posted: April 21, 2021
For the Needy, Not the Greedy Medical Equipment & Supplies
Melanie: I was on a SCIO Peer Connection workshop today. It was all about the Tetra Society (see post above). The Tetra Society referenced this organization. I do not know anything about it, but it sounds great. It is a Not For Profit Corporation, so the equipment and supplies are sold at a great price. Apparently they have wheelchair parts and lots of other devices. We will be checking this out. Let us know if you’ve accessed their services.
Subject: Mythbusters: Challenging widely held beliefs about individuals living with spinal cord injury
Posted: February 17, 2021
Mythbusters: Challenging widely held beliefs about individuals living with spinal cord injury
Wallace: When asked to speak about SCI, or other topics, I rarely turn down the opportunity. It’s a great way to connect and share. This video, posted on YouTube, was put on by The Kite Research Institute/UHN/University of Toronto. It was mediated by my physiatrist Dr Cathy Craven and features myself and a peer, Lubna Aslam of SCIO.