Emma Crees has been a writer for this blog for a while, but I have to say this has to be my favourite of her blog posts. I think that everyone should be able to laugh at themselves sometimes. I know that I do it. It is definetly a point of concern for people who do not have a disability about whether or not they can make a joke in relation to that person's disability, however it is common for someone to make a comment about somebody else because they have red hair, giant eyes or a big nose. Even today one of the people within the office who has vision impairment responded to the comment "You were standing right beside a fellow staff member and you didn't see her"....Her response was "I don't see anything!". If we can't crack a joke towards aspects of ourselves, then how can we truly ever be comfortable being who we are?
Please check out Emma's blog site at http://writerinawheelchair.blogspot.com.
Emma Crees
I make jokes about being disabled, and specifically about myself and my disability. It’s just what I do. I refuse to see being disabled as a bad thing and somethings just are funny. Other times it’s a case of if I didn’t laugh I’d cry and laughing is definitely more fun. People don’t always know how to react to the jokes, disability being such a serious and horrible thing that they don’t know if it’s ok for them to laugh. Or perhaps they just don’t expect it.
I’ve frequently made jokes about my chair. I’ve convinced people that I’m not disabled just lazy. And once that a miracle had occurred because I stood up. When I last had a blood test the nurse commented that my veins were moving. I said “well, at least part of me is.” I thought that was hilarious, she didn’t even smile.
I’m not the only person who jokes about their disability. I know a couple of others who do. I also know a few people who can’t or don’t joke about it. I respect that but for me I need to laugh. I’ve even got a few able-bodied friends who now make crip jokes to me. Usually with the comment “I know I can say this to you…”
I want to share a moment from this evening. I’m really hoping it isn’t one of those “you had to be there moments”. I was really amused by it anyway.
I take a creative writing class. It started again this evening for the new term so we had a few people who’ve been before and several new members. We were just getting started and the tutor made a comment that he thought we had everyone or at least he hoped so because we didn’t have enough chairs for anyone else.
Me being me I just sat there and cracked “maybe if someone else comes they’ll be as organised as I was and bring their own chair.”
And just as I said it the door opened and another wheelchair user came in.
That, my friends, is why I make crip jokes. Because once in a while something happens that just makes it even funnier. I can cope with my life and my disability? But a world or even a life without laughter? I couldn’t cope with that.
Showing posts with label share. Show all posts
Showing posts with label share. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
The 1000 Voices Life Story Project - by Sally Robinson
I don't know if my followers have heard of this program, but it is definitely one to watch. The 1000 Voices Life Story Project is quite an amazing project currently being developed by the Griffith University. I have asked Research Fellow, Sally Robinson, to provide a bit of information about the project. I advise visitors to this blog to look out for this project and to share their story! Learn about the Power of Sharing Life Narratives.
Sally Robinson
The purpose of the 1000 Voices project is to collect and display 1000 life narratives from people with disability from around the world.
With this collection of narratives we hope to build awareness of the lived experiences of people with disability; to provide opportunities for people with disability to have their own voice in determining how their lives are seen and heard; and to make sure that these voices become part of ongoing research, service, and policy development activity in Australia and beyond.
The project will centre on a public interactive website that will display and catalogue a minimum of 1000 life narratives from participants in Australia and participating countries.
These life narratives will be presented in a number of multimedia and textual formats to accommodate our participating narrators’ communication abilities and needs.
Over time, the 1000 Voices project aims to:
o provide an accessible forum for the telling of your own story for people with disability;
o promote life narratives from people with disability to a wide international audience;
o facilitate and acknowledge many different ways of telling your story: narratives are not limited to written text;
o empower people with disability by giving them access to shared experiences of others;
o provide a link to national and international research and policy that can result in larger scale systemic change;
o provide a vast database from which policy makers and program developers or communities can find out more about lived experiences of people with disability.
During the next year, we have four main activities underway. These are:
1. To build the stories on the website – in terms of both numbers and diversity
2. To develop a training module for people with disabilities and their families, on a variety of techniques for life storytelling, as well as practical assistance on different formats that can be used on the 1000 Voices website
3. To start research about how these narratives can collectively influence policy and practice in human and disability services arenas
4. To bring together an international group of researchers and partners to set a research agenda and to hold a symposium about narrative and research which includes people with disability
Sally Robinson
The purpose of the 1000 Voices project is to collect and display 1000 life narratives from people with disability from around the world.
With this collection of narratives we hope to build awareness of the lived experiences of people with disability; to provide opportunities for people with disability to have their own voice in determining how their lives are seen and heard; and to make sure that these voices become part of ongoing research, service, and policy development activity in Australia and beyond.
The project will centre on a public interactive website that will display and catalogue a minimum of 1000 life narratives from participants in Australia and participating countries.
These life narratives will be presented in a number of multimedia and textual formats to accommodate our participating narrators’ communication abilities and needs.
Over time, the 1000 Voices project aims to:
o provide an accessible forum for the telling of your own story for people with disability;
o promote life narratives from people with disability to a wide international audience;
o facilitate and acknowledge many different ways of telling your story: narratives are not limited to written text;
o empower people with disability by giving them access to shared experiences of others;
o provide a link to national and international research and policy that can result in larger scale systemic change;
o provide a vast database from which policy makers and program developers or communities can find out more about lived experiences of people with disability.
During the next year, we have four main activities underway. These are:
1. To build the stories on the website – in terms of both numbers and diversity
2. To develop a training module for people with disabilities and their families, on a variety of techniques for life storytelling, as well as practical assistance on different formats that can be used on the 1000 Voices website
3. To start research about how these narratives can collectively influence policy and practice in human and disability services arenas
4. To bring together an international group of researchers and partners to set a research agenda and to hold a symposium about narrative and research which includes people with disability
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