Thursday, August 21, 2014

The T21 Blog Hop - August 2014

August, as they say, has been interesting thus far.

So much has been happening... It has gotten me thinking of Acceptance vs Awareness again, the question of what is normal and not, what is health and what is considered illness and when the change from one to another actually happens, if at all.

I guess what really hit it home today is the following quote from the agency who is monitoring and aiding in my son's development:

"-Wyatt has Down's Syndrome [sic].
 -Wyatt is Twin 'A'.  Twin 'B' is a healthy female."

Ow.

With this in mind, it's time for a little more acceptance, methinks.  Time for a little more slice of life, time for a little more "... is natural".  Down syndrome is a part of life.  Autism is a part of life. Disability, in any shape or form, is natural and not sickness.  They are not to be feared, extinguished, beaten.  They do not need a cure.

I'm going to extend it a little further this time too.  Depression is natural, as is anxiety and many other things.  They happen, they exist.  They can be quite disabling.  They are not to be feared either. 

I really look forward to a time when this isn't a discussion. 

Grab some ice for a nice cold drink, and read some great Acceptance blogging.



Friday, August 1, 2014

In the News - July 2014


A collection of news articles, blogs, stories and information about Down syndrome, disability and special needs, from Down Wit Dat's Facebook page.  These are from July 2014.


Legend:
AUDIOindicates an audio clip
APPEAL indicates an online petition or plea
BLOG indicates a blog post
CASE indicates a lawsuit or proceedings
EVENT indicates a scheduled event
IMAGE indicates a graphic, image or comic
LAWS indicates a new piece of legislation
LINKS indicates links or resource materials
PHOTOS indicates photos
POLL indicates an online survey
POST indicates an advocacy statement made through social media
PRESS indicates a press release
QUOTE indicates a meaningful quote
STUDY indicates a study or discovery
THREAD indicates an online discussion thread
VIDEO indicates a video or movie clip
VLOG **NEW** indicates a video blog post


BLOGAutism and Psychiatric Diagnoses
BLOG
A Brief History of Down Syndrome, Part 2: Before John Langdon Down
IMAGEEscalation of violence pyramid.
BLOG
The Battle…
IMAGE"Image description: Picture of a young woman wearing glasses and standing in what looks..."
IMAGEInclusion vs Exclusion

VIDEOThere Is No Excuse for Children With Intellectual Disabilities To Be Educated In Separate Classrooms
IMAGE"Image of a woman wearing a blue zip up sweat shirt. She is holding two signs..."
POST

BLOGDon’t teach kids that their body is wrong

Amy Purdy Goes Nude for ESPN Body Issue
POST"Today in Mighty Girl history, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics..."
BLOG
Asking for Accommodations
BLOG
A Father’s Powerful & Extremely Personal Thoughts on Parenting

BLOG
My Story: So Much More Than Just a Girl Who Uses a Wheelchair – Embracing Disability as Part of My Identity
The Sexual Politics of Autism
IMAGE"Image Description: A darkened photo of a woman's face appears behind a computer..."
Author of U of T study says dyslexic children should be screened for physical abuse
BLOGThe Poppy Seeds


Girl With Autism Speaks at City Hall After She Says She Was Caught on Overheated School Bus

IMAGE"Image description: A woman, wearing glasses cozily holding her very young son while they..."
POST"It looks like Netflix is airing the Autism Speaks Documentary "Sounding The Alarm" now..."
IMAGE"Image description: a young woman with the text, "I am autistic. I am NOT a tragedy..."
IMAGE"Image Description: Black and white photo of a man, sitting in front of a large body of..."
BLOGIT HAPPENED TO ME: I Was Wined, Dined And Body-Shamed On A First Date
IMAGE"Image Description: A photo of a man with long hair and beard, wearing a striped button..."

The Weird, Scary and Ingenious Brain of Maria Bamford
POST"In their flagship Manhattan store this week, JCPenney unveiled a new collection of "real..."
EVENT
The T21 Blog Hop - July 2014
IMAGE"Image Description: Back ground is greenish Text reads: I am autistic I do not live..."
One of Marvel’s Avengers Turns to Sign Language
IMAGE"Image description: A young man is wearing a hoodie is standing in a grassy field looking..."
VIDEO

The Relationship Between Creativity and Mental Illness
BLOG
The Messiness of Blogging


In July, A Brief History of Down Syndrome... was featured in BoingBoing.  Thank you very much!

This month also saw another edition of the T-21 Blog Hop...


Thanks to all who participated.

The T-21 Blog Hop will take place every month on the 21st, for three days and will continue to feature advocacy posts from across the disability community.


...And that's the news.  Keep the stories and information coming!