Along with the rest of the world, I watched the recent video of a doctor being dragged from a United Airlines flight with horror. Horror, but not surprise. While the physical violence in this incident was egregious and unusual, similar incidents occur regularly at airports and on flights around the country. They happen to people…
an open letter to the Republicans in Congress Dear Republican Party, My name is Karin, and I’m just an ordinary citizen from Mike Pence’s home state of Indiana. But I’m writing to you today regarding the American Health Care Act, because my job, my home, my very life depends on you voting against this…
When I was a little girl growing up with cerebral palsy, I had beautiful long hair down to my waist. But when I was about 7 years old, my mom said I had to cut it, because it would be “easier for me and other people to take care of.” I was furious. I loved…
My recent road trip to California ended in disaster. One of the caregivers I was traveling with became irrational and abusive, to the point where I had to arrange my own rescue for my safety and especially that of Aria. Sometime in the future, I may write more about it, but this is not that…
Happy New Year everyone! 2016 is gone, and I know I speak for a lot of people when I say it wasn’t a great year. I lost one of my best friends to cancer, mourned with the world as several of my favorite celebrities including David Bowie and Carrie Fisher passed away far too soon,…
‘Tis the season for snow, seeing family, and of course making that all-important Christmas list! Would you believe I asked for a toilet this year? Yes, you might be a person with a disability if you’ve ever wanted a toilet as a Christmas present. My unusual gift request led me to think about other, impossible-yet-possible…
Dear Anderson Cooper: I recently watched your 60 Minutes piece about so-called drive-by ADA lawsuits. As a person with a disability, I too am dismayed by law firms that choose to target businesses for minor Americans With Disabilities Act violations. But by choosing this small number of questionable lawsuits as the focus of your story,…
This isn’t a political blog. But the personal is political, and that’s especially true for me and many other people with disabilities. I didn’t sleep at all the night of the election, and I’ve been struggling to think and function ever since that night. I’m more afraid for my future than I’ve ever been before….
As people with disabilities become more active in our communities, we move slowly towards equality. We are out in the world living, working, traveling, getting married, raising kids, and doing everything else non-disabled people can do. People view us differently than they once did, and so the words used to speak about us have changed. Words…
If you haven’t seen the tragic photo in your social media feed, you will soon. An elderly couple, married for 62 years, are weeping because they’ve been forced to live in separate nursing homes. Their family’s attempts to reunite them in the same facility have been futile. All Wolfram and Anita Gottschalk want is to spend the…
