Journalist – Historian – Speaker
I wrote for NBC about the death of Stephen Hawking, arguing: A life like Hawking’s might easily fall into one of two ableist (discrimination or stigma based on prejudice and misconceptions about disability) tropes: The “supercrip” and the body/mind split. In the former, his accomplishments might suggest he “overcame” his disability. In the latter, his …
Miami-Dade County has vowed to forcibly institutionalize all homeless people who don’t get off the streets. The temptation will be to say this is for their own good and to look past it, but disasters do not mean that disabled people lose their rights. Moreover, notice how the article (and others like it) only talk …
The dad of an autistic man founded a carwash for his son to work at, and has employed lots of other autistic people. NBC did a feature in their “Inspiring America” series. No autistic person is quoted in the story. Instead, we get this: The repetition involved in the work is actually perfect for those …
Here’s a major feature on caring for two intellectually and developmentally disabled children in Australia. The parents wanted people to “know what it’s like, to advocate for more resources, more good housing options, and so forth. The critiques of this piece could be many, but here’s the one I want to focus on: The parents, …
Notes: Ableism and extremely stigmatizing language follow. Note 2: Looking for autistic responses to this piece, if any. Mostly folks I follow on Twitter just seem tired and really, what else is there to say? Let me know if you see something I should link to here to signal boost. UPDATE: @Erabrand on Twitter produced an …
Two disabled men were killed by law enforcement over the last few days. Details are still emerging. Both seem to be relatively young white men. Daniel Harris, in Charlotte NC, was Deaf and communicated via sign language. Joseph Weber, in Hays KA, has not been identified by diagnosis, but a local source tells me he …
Suggestion to health reporters: If you are writing about a condition, make sure your reporting includes people who have that condition. From Quartz: How obesity became the new face of disability in America The article opens by comparing “lean” hikers to obese former steel workers in Colorado, then interviews doctors, economists, and public health officials, …
The use of “suffers” to describe people with various disabilities is my #1 “to-avoid” tip when I talk disability and journalism (#2 is “wheelchair bound”). It especially shows up in cases of police use of force. In last March’s Ruderman Foundation White Paper, Lawrence Carter-Long and I wrote: The most current disability style guide for …
Vilissa Thompson, one of the most important writers on race, gender, and disability, has written a powerful and moving piece on Korryn Gaines, the black disabled woman killed in Baltimore County recently. Thompson writes: To be Black, disabled, and female means that you always have eyes on you. You must be “on” at all times; …
Some researchers asked folks who didn’t have specific disabilities whether said disabilities would be worse than death and you know what, those folks said yes! Then journalists write it up as a major clickbaity sciencey news story. It’s got tons of coverage, but in not one case can I find someone who actually talked to …