March 2017 - Disability Digest

Disability Digest

The monthly DISABILITY RIGHTS e-publication
of Disability Network Southwest Michigan

March 2017

Unapologetic Selfie Queen

In this blog post on Claiming Crip, Karen Hitselberger describes herself as "an unapologetic selfie queen ." She loves selfie photos as a medium and says they are not just a fun way to show off her style but a rebellion to inspiration porn. As she says, "They are not poised photos taken by others to exploit, objectify, or dehumanize the disabled experience. They are a firsthand reclamation of our awesomeness as disabled people." Follow this link to read her post.

The Independence Myth

In this video, activist Denise Lance argues that society's obsession with independence shames those who ask for help -- especially those with disabilities. She takes the position that independence isn't better than interdependence and challenges us all to reach out and ask for help if we need it.

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Judi Chamberlin

Judi Chamberlin (October 30, 1944 - January 16, 2010) was an American activist, leader, organizer, public speaker and educator in the psychiatric survivors movement. Her political activism followed her involuntary confinement in a psychiatric facility in the 1960s. She was the author of On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System, which is a foundational text in the Mad Pride movement.

People with Disabilities Fight Bias for Transplants

This Washing Post article states that people with disabilities are turned down for organ transplants often enough that their rights are a rapidly emerging ethical issue. Transplant teams have nearly full autonomy to make life-or-death decisions about who will receive scarce donor organs and who will be denied. There's a wide variation from program to program. and ethicist Scott Halpern says the current system lacks accountability and there are virtually no checks and balances on the decisions that transplant centers make.

Movie + Lunch + Discussion Series Continues

Our Advocacy & Community Education team has scheduled a series of Movie, Lunch and Discussion events. Each event will take place at both our Kalamazoo and St. Joseph offices.

March 27: Regarding Henry
April 24: The King's Speech

Follow this link for details about our Movie + Lunch + Discussion series.

Lunchtime Book Club

Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion! The Lunchtime Book Club will meet on Wednesday, June 7, in both our Kalamazoo and St. Joseph offices. For more information about Disability Network Southwest Michigan's Book Club, visit the Book Club page of our website.

At the June Lunchtime Book Club meeting we will enjoy a light lunch and discuss the book Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! Soon to be a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson!

The world outside the home of 18-year-old Madeline Whittier is filled with threats. She has SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency), causing her to be isolated in her house. Madeline is a princess trapped in a castle - except her castle is a spotless, decontaminated house in Los Angeles with white walls, where she lives with her mother. But then one day a new neighbor moves in. He catches Madeline looking -- he stares at her and she stares back. Madeline realizes quickly that she is going to fall in love with him and it's almost certainly going to be a disaster.

This book is available in alternative format.

Disability Network Southwest Michigan

Kalamazoo Office	St. Joseph Office
517 E. Crosstown Parkway	2900 Lakeview Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49001	St. Joseph, MI 49085
(269) 345-1516	(269) 985-0111

www.dnswm.org

You can help support the Disability Rights Movement in Southwest Michigan with a tax-deductible donation to Disability Network.
Visit our website to donate on-line.

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