Comments on: Disability Rights Are a Feminist Issue http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/ Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:40:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jerry Lewis To Be Presented With Humanitarian Award : The Curvature http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-9604 Jerry Lewis To Be Presented With Humanitarian Award : The Curvature Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:21:26 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-9604 [...] problem is that the telethon promotes extremely dangerous stereotypes about people disabilities as being worthy only of our [...] [...] problem is that the telethon promotes extremely dangerous stereotypes about people disabilities as being worthy only of our [...]

]]> By: Andrea Shettle, MSW http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-9563 Andrea Shettle, MSW Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:40:04 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-9563 Hi -- I wanted to make sure you knew about the latest that is happening with Jerry and his, yes, humanitarian award: Jerry Lewis, the man who runs the annual Telethon to raise money for people with muscular dystrophy in the US is about to receive a humanitarian award. Many people in the disability community is protesting this award because they feel that Jerry perpetuates and entrenches negative, harmful stereotypes toward people with disabilities. More about the petition campaign at: <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html</a> There is also a Facebook group at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40538392681" rel="nofollow">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40538392681</a> Hi — I wanted to make sure you knew about the latest that is happening with Jerry and his, yes, humanitarian award:

Jerry Lewis, the man who runs the annual Telethon to raise money for people with muscular dystrophy in the US is about to receive a humanitarian award. Many people in the disability community is protesting this award because they feel that Jerry perpetuates and entrenches negative, harmful stereotypes toward people with disabilities. More about the petition campaign at: http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html

There is also a Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40538392681

]]> By: Jennifer http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7595 Jennifer Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:11:25 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7595 As a co-founder of a feminist disability-rights organization for women and girls with disabilities, Sick Chicks and Twisted Sisters, I have long been aware of the paternalistic, condescending attitude that Jerry Lewis has towards adults with disabilities. Children are used in the telethons to present the ridiculous misconception that people with disabilities somehow disappear or die before they reach adulthood. You don't see a lot of telethons with people who have been disabled all their lives and are now adults. You don't see telethons where the people with disabilities have "invisible" disabilities, which the majority, according to some research, of disabilities are. Among women, the most common form of a disability is a chronic illness, and these illnesses do not usually leave people in wheelchairs, with visible signs that they are officially disdabled and deserving of recognition for that fact. People who walk around with chronic illnesses are often very sick for very long periods of time, with their quality of life severely impaired, and there is no telethon for them at all. I am one of those people, and I know many other women who are as well. Those of us who advocate for disability rights for all disabilities, are often more aware of the forms a disability may take than the general public tends to be. Disabilities take many forms, including psychiatric illnesses which are frequently just as disabling as any physical disability is, but this fact is also ignored by people like Jerry Lewis, as someone with Schizophrenia who is 30 years old doesn't illicit the sympathy and urge to send a check that a five-year-old kid in a wheelchair who smiles and sings songs does. Disability has long been known by many feminists as a feminist issue. I know a number of feminist disability-rights activists and, as always, I am happy to see this issue brought up in feminist forums. Great article, Cara! Keep raising a ruckus. -Jennifer Robinson Sick Chicks and Twisted Sisters As a co-founder of a feminist disability-rights organization for women and girls with disabilities, Sick Chicks and Twisted Sisters, I have long been aware of the paternalistic, condescending attitude that Jerry Lewis has towards adults with disabilities. Children are used in the telethons to present the ridiculous misconception that people with disabilities somehow disappear or die before they reach adulthood. You don’t see a lot of telethons with people who have been disabled all their lives and are now adults. You don’t see telethons where the people with disabilities have “invisible” disabilities, which the majority, according to some research, of disabilities are. Among women, the most common form of a disability is a chronic illness, and these illnesses do not usually leave people in wheelchairs, with visible signs that they are officially disdabled and deserving of recognition for that fact. People who walk around with chronic illnesses are often very sick for very long periods of time, with their quality of life severely impaired, and there is no telethon for them at all. I am one of those people, and I know many other women who are as well. Those of us who advocate for disability rights for all disabilities, are often more aware of the forms a disability may take than the general public tends to be. Disabilities take many forms, including psychiatric illnesses which are frequently just as disabling as any physical disability is, but this fact is also ignored by people like Jerry Lewis, as someone with Schizophrenia who is 30 years old doesn’t illicit the sympathy and urge to send a check that a five-year-old kid in a wheelchair who smiles and sings songs does.

Disability has long been known by many feminists as a feminist issue. I know a number of feminist disability-rights activists and, as always, I am happy to see this issue brought up in feminist forums. Great article, Cara! Keep raising a ruckus.

-Jennifer Robinson
Sick Chicks and Twisted Sisters

]]> By: Katrina http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7542 Katrina Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:18:10 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7542 This was a really interesting for for me, because I am disabled and have a form of MD. I have to first say that I do support MDA as a whole because they are an organization that has done a lot for me. My family was never well off financially and equipment like wheelchairs etc. is enormously expensive and not always covered by health insurance. It was because of MDA that I was able to attend college because without my scooter I never would have been able to get around. However, you are absolutely right about the telethon itself. As I child, I was asked to be on the telethon a couple of times (I was a kid, I got to be on TV, it was exciting) but eventually they stopped asking me. I didn't look disabled enough. In other words, I didn't inspire enough pity for people to shell out the cash. Portraying people with disabilities as people we need to take care of with charity instead of providing the sort of support needed for us to take care of ourselves is extremely problematic. I agree also that disability rights certainly is a feminist issue as well. Being a disabled woman is an extremely tricky position to be in, because I feel that as a disabled woman I am hyper-sexualized for being a woman while simultaneously dealing with the fact that many non-disabled people think of people with disabilities as akin to children and thus not adult human beings with the same sexual drive as anyone else. I'm married and and now pregnant, and already people (people as close to me as my family) deem it necessary to judge me because they do not think I should have children because of my limited physical ability. Anyway, thank you for writing this and bringing this issue to attention. Sorry I left you such a length comment :-) This was a really interesting for for me, because I am disabled and have a form of MD. I have to first say that I do support MDA as a whole because they are an organization that has done a lot for me. My family was never well off financially and equipment like wheelchairs etc. is enormously expensive and not always covered by health insurance. It was because of MDA that I was able to attend college because without my scooter I never would have been able to get around.

However, you are absolutely right about the telethon itself. As I child, I was asked to be on the telethon a couple of times (I was a kid, I got to be on TV, it was exciting) but eventually they stopped asking me. I didn’t look disabled enough. In other words, I didn’t inspire enough pity for people to shell out the cash. Portraying people with disabilities as people we need to take care of with charity instead of providing the sort of support needed for us to take care of ourselves is extremely problematic.

I agree also that disability rights certainly is a feminist issue as well. Being a disabled woman is an extremely tricky position to be in, because I feel that as a disabled woman I am hyper-sexualized for being a woman while simultaneously dealing with the fact that many non-disabled people think of people with disabilities as akin to children and thus not adult human beings with the same sexual drive as anyone else. I’m married and and now pregnant, and already people (people as close to me as my family) deem it necessary to judge me because they do not think I should have children because of my limited physical ability.

Anyway, thank you for writing this and bringing this issue to attention. Sorry I left you such a length comment :-)

]]> By: Cara http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7538 Cara Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:50:19 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7538 Elizabeth, thanks for your comment. I do know now that the correct language is "people with disabilities" rather than "the disabled" -- this post is over a year old, and I've learned a lot about disability rights issues in the time since I originally wrote it :) Elizabeth, thanks for your comment. I do know now that the correct language is “people with disabilities” rather than “the disabled” — this post is over a year old, and I’ve learned a lot about disability rights issues in the time since I originally wrote it :)

]]> By: Elizabeth Miner http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7532 Elizabeth Miner Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:17:15 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-7532 You are so right about this - people and organizations are slowly beginning to move away from the "charity model" for serving people with disabilities, and towards a model that creates an environment (physical and social) in which they can thrive and contribute. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is helping with this, though progress is slow. It is much worse in other countries than in the US. Just be careful not to make enemies of people who could have been friends if gently guided towards this new way of thinking, rather than blasted. Also, you may be interested to know that people with disabilities don't really like being called "the Disabled". You seem sincere in your desire to help people with disabilities be seen as equals - one simple way to start is by using empowered language - it has a huge impact on the way people are perceived. Keep up the good fight! You are so right about this – people and organizations are slowly beginning to move away from the “charity model” for serving people with disabilities, and towards a model that creates an environment (physical and social) in which they can thrive and contribute. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is helping with this, though progress is slow. It is much worse in other countries than in the US. Just be careful not to make enemies of people who could have been friends if gently guided towards this new way of thinking, rather than blasted. Also, you may be interested to know that people with disabilities don’t really like being called “the Disabled”. You seem sincere in your desire to help people with disabilities be seen as equals – one simple way to start is by using empowered language – it has a huge impact on the way people are perceived. Keep up the good fight!

]]> By: Revena http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1385 Revena Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:08:07 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1385 This is a fantastic post, and I think you've articulated your points extremely well. Great job! This is a fantastic post, and I think you’ve articulated your points extremely well. Great job!

]]> By: Cara http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1335 Cara Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:51:34 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1335 Thanks, Sara! Thanks, Sara!

]]> By: Sara no H. http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1332 Sara no H. Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:18:22 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1332 Yeah, telethons have always kind of weirded me out ... but it wasn't until I read <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2fypya" rel="nofollow">this essay</a> by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson that I really understood why. I think you'd really enjoy reading her work, because she speaks directly to the title of your post -- namely, where disability studies and feminism intersect -- and although she isn't talking specifically about telethons (she gives them a passing mention), she does have a lot of things to say about why the "cure" mentality is so degrading to the disabled. Anyway, just thought I'd pass it along. Yeah, telethons have always kind of weirded me out … but it wasn’t until I read this essay by Rosemarie Garland-Thomson that I really understood why. I think you’d really enjoy reading her work, because she speaks directly to the title of your post — namely, where disability studies and feminism intersect — and although she isn’t talking specifically about telethons (she gives them a passing mention), she does have a lot of things to say about why the “cure” mentality is so degrading to the disabled.

Anyway, just thought I’d pass it along.

]]> By: JaneDoe http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1285 JaneDoe Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:23:14 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/09/03/disability-is-a-feminist-issue/#comment-1285 Really interesting post. I always felt uncomfortable about that kind of "fundraising" but could never really articulate why. And, if you needed another reason to hate Jerry Lewis: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/09/05/lewis-telethon-slur.html This guy is just bad news all around. Really interesting post. I always felt uncomfortable about that kind of “fundraising” but could never really articulate why. And, if you needed another reason to hate Jerry Lewis: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2007/09/05/lewis-telethon-slur.html
This guy is just bad news all around.

]]>