A few days ago, I stood on my own two feet for the first time in 10 years. I could feel the blood flowing to my legs, my head spinning slightly from my body being in a position it wasn’t accustomed to experiencing. My lungs filled deeply with air; I could feel all my organs…
I am a domestic violence survivor. You can’t tell by looking at me, and you never could. I didn’t have black eyes or bruises. I never went to the hospital and claimed I fell down the stairs. I am a woman with a disability, and I was abused by my former partner, another woman. Domestic…
There’s a bill currently pending in Congress, H.R. 620, the ADA Education and Reform Act, which is becoming of increasing concern to the disability community. Bills like this have been floating around for a while, but there’s a chance this one could pass, and if it does, it would substantially gut the Americans With Disabilities…
The first time I met an actress friend for whom I’ve done some marketing and PR work, my wheelchair got stuck in a pothole. In the middle of New York City. We were close to Times Square, on our way to a restaurant. She was walking just ahead of me, showing the way, when my…
Hi everyone, it’s the Fourth of July. Independence Day. And that’s what I want to talk about… Independence. In case you don’t know me, my name is Karin Willison and I recently turned 40 (shh, don’t tell anybody). I live in Indiana after spending many years in California. You may have noticed I…
Dear Kellyanne Conway, I was dismayed to learn of your recent comments stating that people who receive Medicaid and would lose it under the Republicans’ proposed health care plan can just “get a job” that provides health insurance. Your words are misleading and inaccurate. You see, I and millions of others who would lose healthcare…
If you’re here, you may be thinking of becoming a personal care attendant (or assistant, as I prefer to say) for a person with a disability. That’s awesome! It’s an important and rewarding job for the right person. Are you wondering if you’re that person? Looking for tips on how to be the best PCA…
Note: This article contains discussion of medical abuse, murder and spoilers for “Gypsy’s Revenge” and “Mommy Dead and Dearest.” The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard unfolds like a lurid true crime tale you see in tabloids. Girl meets boy online. Girl and boy form a toxic relationship filled with salacious sex and bad cosplay….
I recently watched a video by filmmaker and self-styled inspirational speaker Joey Papa offering “advice” on how to connect with someone with a disability or whose loved one has a disability. It was among the most offensive, ableist videos about disability I’ve ever seen, even though — or perhaps because — it was apparently made…
On Tuesday, April 25, two class action lawsuits were filed against New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), accusing it of systematically excluding people with disabilities due to a lack of accessible subway stations. Only 112 out of 472 stations — less than 25 percent — have elevators, making it the least accessible subway system…
