DOCSLIB.ORG

Disability, Theatre and Power: an Analysis of a One-Person Play

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Disability, Theatre and Power: an Analysis of a One-Person Play DISABILITY, THEATRE AND POWER: AN ANALYSIS OF A ONE-PERSON PLAY A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research of Carleton University By Alan Mark Shain, B.A. In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work January 2006 Copyright © Alan Mark Shain, 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 0-494-13477-1 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 0-494-13477-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. i * i Canada Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This study explores the connections that are being made between the Disability Arts and Culture Movement and the struggle for the equality and Human Rights of Disabled Peoples. A major goal of this study is to highlight arts and culture as a site of political struggle for Disabled Peoples. The analysis of a one-person play, Still Waiting for That Special Bus provides a case study of the use of theatre to challenge dominant frameworks which underlie disability oppression. The implications for social work are reflexive in nature which informs theory, research, education, training and practice when working with Disabled Peoples. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With sincere thanks and appreciation to: Roy Hanes, thesis advisor, for your ongoing support through all phases of the project and for securing the additional financial resources which allowed me to complete the thesis, as well as to the other committee members for your interest and involvement Gillian Walker, interim thesis advisor, for your insight in providing shape and encouragement within the initial phases of the project Kirsten and Sidney Shain, mother and father, for your continued motivation and encouragement to carry out the research and writing, and for providing your home as a much needed retreat where I was well-fed while I worked Marcie Dorothy Ryan, my lover and partner in life, for your patience, your continued excitement and your pragmatic advice throughout the project, and most of all for your love and companionship that you give to me each and every day iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION To all the artists, activists, scholars and lovers of the arts who devote time and energy to supporting and promoting the Disability Arts and Culture Movement. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv DEDICATION v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL APPROACH 14 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW 32 CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY 48 CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS 57 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION 99 REFERENCES 112 APPENDIX A [1-10] v i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION It moves us, impassions us, emboldens us. Disability Art - for many of us, the stuff and business of our everyday and particular lives. But let's not underestimate the power of what has happened here in the past three days. Disabled artists and creators... have pushed back the demons of shame and humiliation ... have wrenched the cameras away from the distorting angles of mainstream media ... have bitten a goodly chunk or two out of the benevolent hand of charity. (http://www.s4dac.org/festivals/kickstart/2004/catherin e_frazee_keynote.html) Catherine Frazee made the above comments at Kickstart2 - the second international disability arts festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, in September 2004. This three-day event featured poetry, theatre, dance, comedy, music as well as painting, sculpting and photography. It brought together disability artists from across Canada and around the world. Across Canada there have been similar types of events over the past five years. The first Kickstart festival occurred in August, 2001, also in Vancouver. Every July, since the summer of 2000, the Disability Studies department at Ryerson University has been holding an evening of live performance. The Calgary SCOPE Society, which provides support to enable people with developmental disabilities to live in the community, has held four ‘Picture This’ festivals featuring international disability films since 2001. Several of their projects have used video and performance in organizing people with developmental disabilities to speak Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 out on personal and social justice issues.1 Stage-Left Productions, also based in Calgary, has hosted four performing arts festivals between 2002 and 2005. Stage Left Productions engage in professional artist - community collaboration. They “practice a highly specialized, socio-political performing arts model made up of Popular Theater and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, coupled with interdisciplinary Performance Creation, to genuinely affect personal and social transformation in marginalized communities.” (http://www.stage- left.org/StageLeftMain.htm)2 The Canadian Abilities Foundation held a disability film festival in June 2004 and a performing arts festival in the fall of 2005, both in Toronto. , Several Canadian disability artists are known on the national and international levels. These include comedians Gord Paynter and Tyler Fortin, dance artists Spirit Synott and France Geffory, and theatre artists Alix Blume and Victoria Maxwell. As well, companies such as Theatre Terrific in Vancouver, training programmes such as Dance Ability in Ottawa, and exhibit halls such as the Creative Spirit Centre in Toronto support the on-going development of the work of disability artists.3 This growth in disability arts events and festivals over the past five years is a new feature on the Canadian disability scene. Although past disability conferences 1 1 For more information, please see www.calgscope.org. 2 For more information, please see www.stage-left.org. 3 For a more complete listing of disability artists and disability arts organizations, please see www.stage- left.org. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. and conventions have included artists in their focus on the struggle for Human Rights and equality4, disability arts festivals represent a different type of event. These are. arts events first and foremost, focusing on the artistic merits of the exhibits and performances, and on how this art translates into an expression of an emerging disability culture ........ This present study is very much intertwined with my own identity as a disabled person, as a student of Social Work as well as a disability artist. For the past 16 years I’ve been performing both stand-up comedy and theatre, touring professionally across Canada and around the world. I’ve attended several disability arts festivals and have met disability artists such as David Roche in California, Philip Patson in New Zealand, Mat Frazer in England, and Tony Doyle in Australia. These performers are all powerful forces within the international Disability Arts and Culture Movement. My work in comedy and theatre primarily focuses on the physical and attitudinal barriers which I face as a disabled person. I find that humour provides a bond between the audience and the performer. It enables me to 'attack' the audience's own perceptions of disability without alienating them. Comedy provides a sense that I am sharing my experiences with them, and that
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Citizenship, Self-Determination and Political Action: the Forging of a Political Movement
    Citizenship, self-determination and political action: the forging of a political movement Jenny Morris (Talk at Conference in Sydney, Australia on Citizenship and Disability: February 1998) I want to talk about all the three things mentioned in the title of this Conference - citizenship, self-determination and political action. In order to talk about citizenship, I have to explain why I use the term 'disabled people' rather than 'people with disabilities'. The British disabled people's movement has campaigned for people to adopt a social model, rather than a medical model, of disability. The social model of disability says that: • the quality of our lives, our life chances, are not inevitably determined by what our bodies can't do or look like or how our minds function. Like the women's movement, we say - biology is not destiny. If I could not get a job that would be because of discrimination, not because I can't walk or because I'm a woman • we therefore need to separate out 'impairment' - the characteristics of our bodies and minds - from the way other people and society generally react to impairment • prejudice, discrimination, services which disempower and segregate us, a failure to use resources to create accessible environments and technology to aid communication - these are the disabling barriers that we experience • people with physical, sensory, intellectual impairments, people with mental health difficulties are therefore disabled by the society in 1 which we live • and we use the term 'disabled people' to describe what is done to us This language politicises our experiences and it takes the focus away from our impairments being the problem and puts the responsibility onto the society in which we live This is why we don't use the term disability to mean impairment.
    [Show full text]
  • Nothing About Us Without Us Exhibition Large Print Text 18Pt
    Nothing About Us Without Us Exhibition Large Print Text 18pt 1 Contents Introduction…………………………………………….4 Timeline………………………………………………...5 Banners……………………………………………….22 Photographs and Posters………………………......24 Placards by Jo Ann Taylor.........…………………...27 T-shirt and Other Campaign Materials Case……...28 Leaflets, Badges and Campaign Materials Case…29 Cased T-Shirts………………………………………. 35 Protest Placards…………………………………….. 36 The Autistic Rights Movement…………………….. 37 No Excuses…………………………………………. 46 Pure Art Studio……………………………………… 48 One Voice…………………………………………… 50 Quiet Riot……………………………………………. 51 Music………………………………………………… 66 2 Nothing About Us Without Us Playlist……………. 67 Interviews……………………………………………. 68 3 Introduction panel This exhibition is the second stage in a long-term project that looks at the representation of disabled people. The museum is working with groups, campaigners and individuals to capture their stories and re-examine how the history of disabled people’s activism is presented. We encourage you to let us know if you have any comments, objects or stories you would like to share to help to continue to tell this story. If you are interested in sharing your object or story as part of this project, please speak to a member of staff or contact [email protected] 4 Timeline The timeline on the wall is split into five sections: Early Days, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Each section has an introductory label followed by photographs and labels with further information. Beneath the timeline is a shelf with pencils and pieces of card on it that visitors can use to write their own additions to the timeline and leave them on the shelf for other visitors to see. The introduction to the timeline is as follows: Is anything missing? Add to the timeline using the cards and shelf.
    [Show full text]
  • JAN 2019 NY.Indd
    VOLUME 24 NUMBER 7 JANUARY 2019 ININ THISTHIS ISSUEISSUE ADAPT IS 40 ABLE Accounts DiNapoli Urges Advocacy Org. Celebrates 4 Decades Age Expansion PAGE 2 Feds May Limit PWD Proposal Could Make Immigration Harder PAGE 3 Court Refuses Lawsuit Against Lyft Still On-going PAGE 3 N.Y. Health Act City Council Listens to Testimony PAGE 6 Financial Aid Resources Available To Students With Disabilities PAGE 8 ADAPT members hear speakers at one of several Sports events throughout the day at the organization’s Race, WC Basketball, recent 40th anniversary celebration in Denver, Skiing, Golf & Paralympics Colo. PAGES 12 & 17 Chapter members from across the country also attended a rally at Civic Center Park in Colorado, where they listened to speeches from several orig- inal ADAPT founders, members, Colorado Lt. Gov.- a bus through the night to demand accessible pub- Elect Dianne Primavera (D) and State Sen. Jessie lic transportation in Denver, Colo. Since then, the Danielson (D-Dist. 20). advocacy group has continued to grow throughout Afterwards, a memorial dinner was held honor- the country, with members organizing demonstra- ing Babs Johnson, a beloved ADAPT leader who tions, sit ins, rallies and civil disobedience, incud- died this year which was followed by a screening ing occupying senators offices in Washington, D.C. of “Piss on Pity: The Story of ADAPT” a new film on In inset photo, ADAPT organizers enjoy the ral- VISIT the history of the organization. ly. Seen left to right, are Robbie Roppolo and Dawn ABLE’S ADAPT began four decades ago when 19 activists Russell of Colorado; Mike Oxford of Kansas and WEBSITE with disabilities, known as the Gang of 19, blocked Stephanie Thomas of Texas.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Disability Drive Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0bb4c3bv Author Mollow, Anna Publication Date 2015 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California The Disability Drive by Anna Mollow A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Kent Puckett, Chair Professor Celeste G. Langan Professor Melinda Y. Chen Spring 2015 The Disability Drive © Anna Mollow, 2015. 1 Abstract The Disability Drive by Anna Mollow Doctor of Philosophy in English University of California Berkeley Professor Kent Puckett, Chair This dissertation argues that the psychic force that Freud named “the death drive” would more precisely be termed “the disability drive.” Freud‟s concept of the death drive emerged from his efforts to account for feelings, desires, and actions that seemed not to accord with rational self- interest or the desire for pleasure. Positing that human subjectivity was intrinsically divided against itself, Freud suggested that the ego‟s instincts for pleasure and survival were undermined by a competing component of mental life, which he called the death drive. But the death drive does not primarily refer to biological death, and the term has consequently provoked confusion. By distancing Freud‟s theory from physical death and highlighting its imbrication with disability, I revise this important psychoanalytic concept and reveal its utility to disability studies. While Freud envisaged a human subject that is drawn, despite itself, toward something like death, I propose that this “something” can productively be understood as disability.
    [Show full text]
  • Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
    A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cameron, C. 2010. Does anybody like being disabled? A critical exploration of impairment, identity, media and everyday experience in a disabling society. PhD thesis. Queen Margaret University. Accessed from: http://etheses.qmu.ac.uk/258/ Repository Use Policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes providing that: The full-text is not changed in any way A full bibliographic reference is made A hyperlink is given to the original metadata page in eResearch eResearch policies on access and re-use can be viewed on our Policies page: http://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/policies.html http://etheses.qmu.ac.uk DOES ANYBODY LIKE BEING DISABLED? A CRITICAL EXPLORATION OF IMPAIRMENT, IDENTITY, MEDIA AND EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE IN A DISABLING SOCIETY COLIN CAMERON A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy QUEEN MARGARET UNIVERSITY 2010 Abstract I offer a critical exploration of tensions experienced by disabled people in the construction of positive identities in everyday contexts in which self-understanding is shaped both by social structural relations of inequality and unique individual experience. The empirical evidence I use to develop and support my thesis involves data I have generated using a variety of data collection tools, through a series of interviews, conversations and observations carried out with sixteen disabled people across Scotland and England. I argue that while certain barriers to participation in ordinary community life may be being removed, perceptions of impairment as something „wrong‟ with the bodies of disabled people remain embedded in dominant disability discourse.
    [Show full text]
  • Disabled People and Communication Systems in the Twenty First Century
    Disabled People and Communication Systems in the Twenty First Century Alison Sheldon Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of PhD The University of Leeds Department of Sociology and Social Policy June 2001 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I acknowledge the financial support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and British Telecom (BT). This thesis would not have been possible without the advice and support of countless others. Most importantly, I must thank all those people who participated in the fieldwork. Without your input there would have been no thesis. Thank you for giving up so much of your time, and for welcoming me into your lives. Special thanks must go to my supervisors Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer at Leeds University, and to Di Holm at BT. Thanks to Colin and Geof for giving me the opportunity in the first place, and for providing inspiration, support and friendship. Thanks to Di for her kindness, generosity and support. Thanks to my examiners, Malcolm Harrison and Michael Oliver for their helpful comments. Thanks to everyone at the Centre for Disability Research, and all those who have passed through during my time there. I have been truly fortunate to be part of such a vibrant, committed and supportive centre. Special mention must go to Hannah Morgan for her invaluable eleventh-hour assistance, and to Mark Priestley, without whom I would never have embarked on such a radical career change.
    [Show full text]
  • Disability, Rights and Vulnerability in British Parliamentary Debate
    DRAFT Disability, Rights and Vulnerability in British Parliamentary Debate Evan Odella aDisability Rights UK 14 East Bay Lane, Plexal, London E15 2GW ARTICLE HISTORY Compiled July 10, 2018 ABSTRACT This paper examines discussion of disability and disabled people by Members of Parlia- ment (MPs) in the UK House of Commons from 1979–2017. It examines general trends in the number of speeches mentioning disability, including the parties and MPs most likely to mention disability issues, and examines how disability is used in conjunction with two keywords: ‘rights’ and ‘vulnerable’. It uses these keywords to explore two conceptions of how the state should engage with disability and disabled people: a paternalistic concep- tion (which post-2010 has become more common) and a rights-based conception (which has been in decline since the 1990s). I conclude with a discussion about how this reflects the disability movement in the UK, and what it means for the future of disability politics, the welfare state and how disabled people themselves might view paternalistic government policies. Abbreviations: SNP: Scottish National Party DPAC: Disabled People Against the Cuts MP: Member of Parliament KWIC: Key Words in Context KEYWORDS Disability, Politics, Hansard, Political Discourse 1. Introduction The way politicians approach, discuss and debate an issue can reveal how that given issue is viewed, and the predict the policy responses to that issue. The tone of political rhetoric both informs and reflects popular conceptions, media coverage and public policies on a given issue or set of issues. Discourse, amongst politicians, mass media and the general public, has been a long-standing concern in the field of disability studies, particularly fo- cusing on popular descriptions of disability and how these can harm (or help) disabled people, or the language and arguments used by governments to ‘sell’ different policies.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019-Conference-Guide.Pdf
    A Message from the Executive Director Dear Advocates and Friends, NCIL’s 2019 Annual Conference theme is IGNITE. The Independent Living Movement ignites action and empowerment. When there is work to be done, we do it. When bad policy threatens our independence and rights, we fight back. When we know we have a better way, we take action to influence policy and pass laws. We are organized, we are powerful, and we know what we want. We must share resources, strategize, and train new advocates if we want to succeed in our efforts to protect our programs and NOTES secure the independence of people with disabilities. Questions: Contact us at NCIL’s Annual Conference is the largest Independent Living event [email protected] of the year. NCIL regularly hosts over 1,000 people, including grassroots advocates, CIL and SILC leadership, members of Registration Congress, government officials, and representatives from other major organizations that work for justice and equity for people with You may register multiple disabilities. people in one transaction by using our online store. Visit Please join us in Washington this July to show our power, take to ncil.org for: the streets, and share our message. Together, our individual sparks will ignite a flame that cannot be ignored. online registration printable registration Your Partner in Disability Rights, forms personal assistant registration Contact [email protected] for Kelly Buckland sponsor registration. Executive Director Participants must register for the Conference before being eligible for a discounted rate Table of Contents at the hotels. A Message from the Executive Director: 2 See Pages 17-19 for complete registration details.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction: Global Disability Studies
    ONE Introduction: Global Disability Studies ******************************************************* Introduction Disability studies understand their subject matter as social, cultural and political phenomena. In defining terms, describing positions and laying foundations, we will interrogate the literature in ways that encourage us to think about where we sit/stand in relation to pan-national and cross-disciplinary perspectives on disability that have the potential to support the self-empowerment of disabled people. This first chapter sets the theoretical tone. The global nature of disability The word ‘disability’ hints at something missing either fiscally, physically, mentally or legally (Davis, 1995: xiii). To be disabled evokes a marginalised place in society, culture, economics and politics. It is concentrated in some parts of the globe more than others, caused by armed conflict and violence, malnutrition, rising populations, child labour and poverty. Paradoxically, it is increasingly found to be everywhere, due to the expo- nential rise in the number of psychiatric, administrative and educational labels over the last few decades. Disability affects us all, transcending class, nation and wealth. The notion of the TAB – Temporarily Able Bodied – recognises that many people will at some point become disabled (Marks, 1999a: 18). Most impairments are acquired (97%) rather than congenital (born with) and world estimates suggest a figure of around 500–650 million disabled people, or one in ten of the population (Disabled-World. com, 2009), with this expected to rise to around 800 million by the year 2015 (Peters et al., 2008). Currently, 150 million of these are children (Grech, 2008) and it is esti- mated that 386 million of the world’s working-age population are disabled (Disabled- World.com, 2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Brown, Steven E. 1995
    Brown, Steven E. 1995. "A Celebration of Diversity: An Introductory, Annotated Bibliography about Disability Culture." In: Disability Studies Quarterly 15 (4), (Fall 1995), 36-55. (PDF, 125 KB.) Internet publication URL: http://www.independentliving.org/docs3/brown95a.pdf Annotation According to Brown, Co-Founder of the Institute on Disability Culture, in the United States, the idea of disability culture has gained momentum in the early 1990s leading to many examples of the culture in articles, books, music, and film. This is an annotated description of those Brown believes are most significant. Keywords Disability culture, disability rights, disability history, music, movies, telethons, celebration A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY: AN INTRODUCTORY, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ABOUT DISABILITY CULTURE by Steven E. Brown, Ph.D. Copyright ©1995, Institute on Disability Culture, All Rights Reserved 1 A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY: AN INTRODUCTORY, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ABOUT DISABILITY CULTURE by Steven E. Brown, Ph.D. Institute on Disability Culture 2260 Sunrise Point Rd. Las Cruces, NM 88011 The idea of celebrating disability, a condition historically viewed from tragedy to deviance to incompetence, remains mostly unbelievable to a society guided by precepts of medical practice which convey the belief that the only positive solution to disability is repair or cure. The most popular current-day view of disability is molded by what many disabled people consider the scourge of the late twentieth century--telethons. Telethons have generated great controversy for the past decade or so. Entertainer Jerry Lewis has become one focal point of this conflict. Several years ago Lewis spent some time in a wheelchair to see what it was like.
    [Show full text]
  • Dyslexia As Disability
    Dyslexia as Disability The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Threlkeld, Aubry D. 2015. Dyslexia as Disability. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:16461049 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Dyslexia as Disability Ad hoc Committee Members: Dr. Catherine Snow Dr. Helen Haste Dr. Jennifer Thomson Dissertation Thesis Submitted by Aubry D. Threlkeld on May 11, 2015 DYSLEXIA AS DISABILITY ii Acknowledgements In the last eight years many people have been influential to my work at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I would like to thank Professors Catherine Snow, Helen Haste, and Jennifer Thomson for their feedback, guidance and support through both the qualifying and dissertation phases of my work. All have taken time over many years to offer their professional opinions and to keep my work meaningful for both my intended audiences and myself. Colleagues and mentors like Professors David Connor at CUNY and Janet Sauer at Lesley University kindly answered naïve questions and provided companionship and critical feedback at important junctures. They have been my mentors in disability studies in education along with Dr. Bernadette McCartney, Dr. Chris MacMaster, Annie Guerin, and Dr. Roger Slee. I would also like to thank Dr. Celeste Moreno Palmero for her particular insights into conducting analyses of conceptual metaphors.
    [Show full text]
  • Duane French PDF.Indd
    DUANE FRENCH “Pity is just another form of abuse.” www.sos.wa.gov/legacy who ARE we? | Washington’s Kaleidoscope French talks with well-wishers outside the state Capitol in 2008 after Booth Gardner filed Initiative 1000, the “Death with Dignity” proposal. Thomas James Hurst © The Seattle Times, reprinted with permission uane French scoots into Starbucks in his electric wheelchair. Though his hands are misshapen from Dparalysis, he’s Jeff Gordon with a joystick—boyishly handsome at 62 and natty in a checked shirt, tasteful tie and blue-suede shoes. His smile is contagious. Yet some people glance furtively from their Frappuccinos. Their eyes say, “What if that were me?” The director of disability services for the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services oversees a $53 million budget and 325 employees. In one sense he is uniquely qualified for his job. Duane French is a quadriplegic. In 1968, he was a happy-go-lucky 14-year-old who dove into a river of despair. There were times, doped up on Demerol, feeling use- less, when he just wanted to die. And without his family and the intervention of other caring people he might have. They brought him out of his shell, convinced him he could go to college and goosed him to think big: Why not set his sights on becoming the director of a vocational-rehab program? French rolled his eyes. He was floundering at a community college; now they were telling him he should go to a university. “It just “Pity is just another form of abuse.” 3 seemed so ridiculous.
    [Show full text]