Episode 239: Writing with Disabilities

Notes:

Though we don’t directly mention them by name, these previous episodes are connected with this series:

- Episode 31: Writing diverse characters

- Episode 188: Neurodivergence and Creativity Part 1

- Episode 189: Neurodivergence and Creativity Part 2

- Episode 190: A panel on neurodiversity and creativity

- Episode 202: Language affects perception

As part of this discussion, we use the CDC’s definition:

- “A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).”

- “There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s: Vision, Movement, Thinking, Remembering, Learning, Communicating, Hearing, Mental health, and Social relationships.”

- “Although ‘people with disabilities’ sometimes refers to a single population, this is actually a diverse group of people with a wide range of needs. Two people with the same type of disability can be affected in very different ways. Some disabilities may be hidden or not easy to see.”

Here are a few articles we consulted in preparation for this series:

- CDC Disability and Health Overview Website - “What is a Disability?”

- ADA (Information, Guidelines, and Training on the Americans w/ Disabilities Act) Website Guidelines for Writing About People With Disabilities

- NEA.org Article “What to Know About Invisable Disabilities”

The Verbivore talks about her experience with learning about dyspraxia and mentions that she’d never even heard the word until several years ago and that it’s a type of neurodivergence that’s not as well known. Here are some of the resources that she‘s found helpful in her journey:

- Dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk Article “Dyspraxia at a glance”

- YouTube Video "Rewiring Dyspraxia from the Brain | Farah Nanji | TEDxLuxembourgCity”

- YouTube Video “Dyspraxic and Fantastic! | Ellie Madeira | TEDxCCGrammarSchool”

- Attitudemag.com article “What is Dyspraxia? Clumsy Child Syndrome”

- TheUnwritten.co.uk article “How the Media Discusses Daniel Radcliffe’s Dyspraxia is Outdated and Damaging”

If you’d like to learn more about neurodiversity, here are a few articles and videos to get you started:

- ChildMind.org Article “What Is Neurodiversity? And how can parents support kids who are neurodivergent?”

- MedicalNewsToday.com Article “What to know about autism in girls”

- PsychCentral.com Article “Masking in Autism: The ‘Why’ Matters”

- Ted-Ed Video “What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley”

- YouTube Video “Autism is a difference, not a disorder | Katie Forbes | TEDxAberdeen”

- YouTube Video “Unmasking the Stigma Behind Autism in Females | Emmy Peach | TEDxUGA”

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
‘Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)