Disability Blog Carnival # 5

Welcome to the "Planet of the Blind" and the December 14, 2006 edition of the disability blog carnival.  We appreciate your stopping by, and we VERY MUCH appreciate the contributions of all those who participated this time around.

This blog carnival is concerned with disability and travel: a complex subject as people with disabilities well know.  We are calling this carnival "the good, the bad, and the ugly" since we know that there are diverging characteristics associated with every journey and voyages by people with disabilities are no exception.  It's possible to take a trip and find the good, the bad, and the ugly all in the same day.  Some journeys are singularly wonderful or entirely awful.  Some are just plain bad.

Those of us who have a disability or who live with a person who has one, understand implicitly that the signs of difference associated with disability are often a kind of invitation or incitement that can influence how the temporarily abled behave.  In effect, it's possible to think of disability as a catalyst of sorts.  Enter a disabled person into the story and things can change quickly and this is all the more evident in circumstances that involve traveling.   As a result we have not categorized the stories that comprise this blog carnival.  Each of these narratives can speak for itself.

On a more personal note, and perhaps this is a tangent, I (Steve) look forward to the day when airplanes have disability seating so that people with wheelchairs or dog guides are no longer considered extraordinary passengers.  I long for the day when people with disabilities can go places without undue hardship or socially constructed modes of self-consciousness.  In the meantime, welcome to the carnival.

Warm Regards to All,

Connie and Steve Kuusisto

Laura Young presents this Powerful Story of Survival: Thirty-one Years and Still Standing  posted at Dragon Slayer's Guide to Life, saying this is "The story of Michael Schwass, who just marked 31 years as a quadriplegic.  His van just died, so traveling is getting ugly, but he keeps going.  He was the first quad to be able to walk again without the use of braces and he can still stand to this day.  He's a study in grace, even when I almost tipped him over when taking a turn too fast!"

We have royalty amongst us! Lady Bracknell recounts the best details of her recent investiture ceremony in Up That London, (Part II) The Investiture Ceremony posted at The Perorations of Lady Bracknell.

Goldfish shares her thoughts in It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door posted in her Diary of a Goldfish, saying, "This is about my experiences traveling before I became a wheelchair-user, but while I had a significant but entirely invisible mobility impairment."

"Wheelchair Dancer travels a lot in her work, and her latest encounter with security and airport restrooms is here."   WCD meets TSA: II posted at Wheelchair Dancer.

Here is another post having to do with the TSA.  On Brokenclay.org, you can read how "the only thing consistent about the TSA is their inconsistency" in TSA: Consistently inconsistent.

In this post, James Wysong on Preboarding, posted at Barrier Free Travels, "Candy Harrington demystifies pre-boarding for disabled passengers".   Reading Candy's article can't help but remind us of this post which we first spotted thanks to Lady Bracknell.  Perhaps many of you have seen it already.  I knew Lady Bracknell to be a wise woman when I read her comment: "She will therefore content herself with having posted the link so that her readers may follow the debate for themselves.  With the proviso that it is likely to anger many of them greatly."

In her post Community Transport, posted at Keep Buggering Onwards, Lorraine Hershon describes her hatred of the wheelchair accessible minibus."

Driving Ambition, posted at Moving Right Along, is a "very up close view" of how Sara uses a car.  You're invited to take this "Road trip with Sara".

"Mr. Winheld explains how he gets places... in his own home, but still!"  Winheld's World: Just Hangin' Around posted at Winheld's World.

"Elmindreda in Sweden has begun using a cane--and finds that it's drawing uncomfortable reactions" in Tool or tragedy? posted at Random Reminiscent Ramblings.

"Emma went sailing this summer--and just gave a talk to the sponsoring organization--she shares an article and a great photo about her trip" in her post My talk and an article about me! at The Life and Times of Emma.

Speaking of great photos, wait 'till you see these beauties by David Gayes in My Wheelchair's Vacation Story posted at Growing up with a disability.  *Note: I told David this post was like a walk down memory lane for me (Connie) as I took a similar trip years ago.

In The Old Story found right here on the Planet of the Blind, Steve Kuusisto recounts several instances of what he can only call "weird travel experiences”.  "If you are a person with a disability or a friend or family member of someone with a disability the chances are good that you have experienced odd situations when traveling...."

And here are some great posts admittedly "Not about travel..." but well worth sharing:

High Functioning Is an Insult, Too says ABFH at Whose Planet Is It Anyway?  This post is "Not about travel, but ABFH is saying something important about labels here..."

Book Girl presents A Rant On "Help" posted at Falling Off My Pedestal in which she says "Humans helping other humans is part of the social contract we should all be participating in, but..."

"Michael Bérubé has a nice short essay about his son's education in middle school" in Making the Grade posted at Le Blog Bérubé.  Congratulations Michael, on being nominated “Best Educational Blog” (Weblog Awards 2006).  If you know Michael's work, you can vote for him here but you better do it quick 'cause voting ends December 15 (tomorrow).

Sara shared with us another post: Heathered posted at Moving Right Along.  It "isn't about travel, but it's a fine rant about celebrity and disability".

Gordon's "got a strong post here on the distancing word 'special'..." Gordon's D-ZONE posted at Gordon's D-Zone

isabella mori presents alternative learners: artists posted at change therapy. "...the problem with using the term 'learning disabilities' is that it implies that alternative learners are learning dis-abled, which is often not true at all."

The Goldfish presents Search Engine Grab Bag: Get Well Wishes for Amputees.  This too is posted at Moving Right Along.  Read about how "Sara gives sound advice about sending get well wishes to new amputees."

Not a disability blog per se, Echidne of the Snakes is a political blog on which the author shares these "Interesting thoughts on a blind African-Mexican-American Pentecostal musician from the early 20th c. With audio clip links" in this post: Imagining Arizona Dranes c. 1905-?

Last but not least, we'd like to end this carnival on a seasonal note.  We know you've been wondering: "What if it turned out that Rudolph couldn't actually save the day?  What if he had just been different but not "special?"  "And When Santa (Santa!) sees the 'deformity' "... what does he do?  Find out in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer posted at yet another never updated blog.

That concludes this edition.   We've checked all the links; we've checked them twice, but if you find any errors we need to fix, please feel free to let us know.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of disability blog carnival using our carnival submission form.  Emma will be hosting carnival # 6 on January 11, 2007.  Her theme: disability and how it can affect friendships/relationships (with friends, family, loved ones, colleagues, romantic/sexual - basically any sort of relationship).  If you would prefer to  e-mail Emma directly, she can be reached at emma@wheelchairprincess.com

Past posts and hosts can be found right here.

Technorati tags: disability blog carnival, blog carnival.

Comments

[Penny]

Ooh, cool! Thanks. And you've got Barrier-Free Travels, but... no carnival edition about disability and travel would be complete without links to two other fine disability-and-travel blogs--not just one entry, they're pretty much always on this topic:

Rolling Rains Report
http://www.rollingrains.com/
Get Around Guide
http://getaroundguide.blogspot.com/index.html

Scott and Darren musta been busy--and I should have nominated them myself--consider this a late entry.

[David Gayes]

Great job! Thanks for doing this, Connie and Steve. This carnival rocks! Thanks for your wonderful words on travel - so true.

David

[Connie]

Thanks for these important links Penny. The thought had crossed my mind that I might be able to "grow" the carnival by searching on the subject - these blogs would have turned up I know - but ultimately I made the decision that I didn't have enough time in a day! Any day!

Actually, in the few months of blogging we've been doing, I hadn't yet come across the "Get Around Guide" blog at http://getaroundguide.blogspot.com/index.html , so thanks for the intro!

[Georgia Whitney]

I loved it all, but especially liked "High Functioning is an Insult."

Georgia

[Sara]

Thanks, Kuusistos! I look forward to reading through all these, especially the ones about traveling on planes. I'm too broke to travel right now, but I'm also not motivated to change that at all since I worry about doing airports post-9/11 with a fake leg. It just seems like it's going to set the stage for many, many interactions I don't want to have. I always find reading about other people's experiences very useful, though, if not always very soothing of my fears.

Since I'm too broke to travel, it never occurred to me that any post I wrote would have anything to do with this carnival, so I didn't actually submit anything. I'm glad someone else made the driving connection, though. It's funny, because it's so ordinary that I just don't think of it as travel. But of course, it is.

(I guess my not being the brightest bulb in the box just makes me extra special.)

Anyway, thanks for doing all this. And I do hope it's not terribly insensitive of me to be ogling your adorable guide dog, or telling you about it.

Cheers!

[Katja]

Thanks for the mention, and for many other interesting links to explore.

[Georgia Whitney]

Sara -- Believe me, I get the insensitivity award regarding Steve's adorable guide dog. I get to see Vidal once a year when Steve teaches at Pacific Lutheran University, and I've been known to say things like, "I love Steve, but I REALLY love Vidal."

However, Steve is a much better poet than Vidal -- at least as far as I know.

Hope everybody's having a great week!

Georgia

[Amanda Scott]

CBS News Anchor Shomari Stone won an Emmy Nomination for the following inspirational story on
June 29, 2006.

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=19451@wfor.dayport.com

It is about George Stern, a 15 year old young man living in South Florida.

George lost his eyesight and some of his hearing due to a medical snafu when he was an infant, . But this is not a story about medical malpractice. Rather, it is about a youngster who plays three musical instruments, writes poetry, takes pre college courses in the 9th grade, and a family which supports him.

Blind and partially deaf; George accepts what he cannot change, develops his talents and brings personal dreams to fruition.

[CSUN Conference and Training]

The Center on Disabilities at California State University, Northridge

Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP)

Jacksonville, Florida Training

Join us in the sunshine state at Jacksonville, Florida for a two day “FastTrax” training at the World Congress and Expo on Disabilities. This two day training is made up of both online instruction and live training providing plenty of opportunity for networking with like minded people in the AT field and for veterans who require assistive technology training to return to work.

Price: $1775.00 for CSUN’s ATACP “FastTrax” training and WCDE Conference Registration

Location: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, Jacksonville, FL

Training Dates: November 19-20, 2008

Conference Dates: November 21-22, 2008

For more information on the World Congress & Expo on Disabilities, please visit: www.vwcdexpo.com
For information on discounted hotel room rates in Jacksonville, FL, please contact Expo Travel at https://expotravel.emeetingsonline.com/emeetings/websitev2.asp?mmnno=169&pagename=ATTENDEE

(NOTE: Please be advised that we have not been able to confirm the accessibility of the sites CSUN is directing you to. Please contact us directly at 818-677-2578 or codtraining@csun.edu for assistance.)

*Remember to mark your calendar for the California State University, Northridge’s 24th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference which will be held March 16-21, 2009 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and Renaissance Montura Hotels.

CSUN is committed to protecting your privacy and respecting your choice for contact. If you no longer wish to receive announcements, news and information from the Center on Disabilities regarding the Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference or ATACP Training, please let us know. Send an email to conference@csun.edu with “Remove” in the Subject line along with the email address that this message was addressed to, and we will remove your email address from our list.