Steven Brown of Louisville, KY speaks about legendary independent living advocate Ed Roberts, disability advocacy, and the development of disability culture. Steven became an advocate in his 20′s after being discriminated based on his physical disability. He has directed an independent living center in Oklahoma, served as Training Director at the World Institute on Disability, co-founded the Institute on Disability Culture in 1994. Steven has written several books, including his most recent work, “Movie Stars and Sensuous Scars: Essays on the Journey from Disability Shame to Disability Pride”. This is #21 out of more than 1000 interviews that “It’s Our Story” has collected in an effort to free the voices of the disability community. Visit us at www.itsourstory.org This interview transcribed by Nancy Cavanah.
You won’t hear Remon Jourdan complain about the car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Regrets? Just one. “That I’m not able to pick up my daughter,” he says. But the Randolph resident would rather talk about all that he can do for his 6-year-old, like give her big bear hugs or play her favorite Disney movies. Only now he delivers his hugs from a motorized wheelchair, and he starts the videos by using voice-activated controls on his television. A lot has changed since Aug. 12, 2002, the night Jourdan fell asleep at the wheel while driving home from a singing gig in Canada. “I take a lot less for granted,” the 33-year-old said. “The accident made me lose whatever false fear I had — that ‘what if’ thing. It inspired me to take more initiative.” That is a message that Jourdan has taken to the streets, hoping to inspire others. He spoke to the students at the Patrick O’Hearn School in Dorchester on Monday. One-third of the school’s students have a disability. The school is held up as a model in the special-education world because of the degree to which students with and without disabilities learn side by side. Jourdan, a poet and an Easter Seals Massachusetts board member, read one of his poems and toured the elementary school classrooms, pausing at times to speak one-on-one with children. “It’s important for the children to meet adults who are contributing, to counteract some of the stereotypes that people with disabilities are incapable in some way …
I have a spinal cord injury that has left me with partial paralysis in my right leg which hinders my mobility as well as my equalibrium. The second part of my dual disability is the fact that I am a convicted felon
I have been receiving DLA at Highest Care and Low Mobility for 18 months now and I have just got through my confirmation that I am entitled this for another two years.
The question I wish to ask is, ‘is there any way I can claim High Mobility’? I suffer from depression, anxiety and Schizo-affective Disdorder. I am unable to travel on public transport because people are following me and taking notes about me and are planning against me and I become extremely distressed. I have doctor, therapist and psychiatrist notes to confirm this.
I got my provisional letters today and it says “To drive a car at 16 because i am getting disability living allowance (mobility component) at the higher rate”.
i need one like that will shield from rain and one like the type that is over a golfing buggy. you know the type. whoever leads me to the website that sells them gets the 10 points,many thanks
Do you know of celebrities who are related to or close friends with someone who is paraplegic or has a mobility disability? (ex. Ashton Kutcher has a brother with cerebral palsy; CP isn’t a mobility disability however)
By mobility disability, I am referring primarily to people who need the aid of a wheelchair to move around.
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