self-esteem

Filed under: Themes, The Skinny on Fat

Quoting Laurie Toby Edison and Debbie Notkin, writing on their always-engaging Body Impolitic blog:

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“We’ve been thinking about the story of Alex Lange, which was in the news earlier this month . . . [The Rocky Mountain Health Plans insurance company] didn’t change its mind because it thinks it was wrong: it changed its mind because Alex’s dad works in television.”

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*If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here’s a blurb/video that explains the details. And click here to read Laurie and Debbie’s full post.

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Filed under: Regular Contributors, Stuart Baker-Brown, Irked Videos, Campaign Watch

A movie trailer spoofing horror films, being shown in theaters in Britain and online, was launched a couple months ago to challenge the stigma surrounding schizophrenia. The segment is part of the “Time to Change” campaign run by British mental health charities Mind and Rethink, and funded by the Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief.

The films have been launched nationwide to coincide with a poll by research firm YouGov, which reveals more than a third of people believe schizophrenics are violent.

Oh yes, did we forget to mention that the campaign stars none other than…MR. STUART BAKER-BROWN!!!

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Filed under: Themes, Auties & Aspies, QuIrked Kids

The Colorado Springs Gazette recently asked a remarkable 11-year-old boy, Joshua, to write an essay on living with autism. Here’s what he came up with:

Autism is like a disease that you can never find a cure for. For me, it all started when I was born on June 11, 1998. When I was 3, I was diagnosed with autism. So, I watched the same movies constantly (such as “The Lion King,” which I absolutely LOVE!!!!!!), had scattered & disorganized language, & woke up constantly when my mom had already put me to sleep! My twin brothers Seth & Noah did the same things I did (except waking up when they’re put to sleep)! When I went to preschool, I was in the Special Needs class. I was also known for my runaways and escapes from the classroom. I also had some escapes when I was in second grade. I think I ran away because I didn’t want to do my work. In third grade, I never made escapes again, but I did have to have a para. (editor’s note: a paraeducator.) Now, even though I’m in middle school, I’m still very dependent on my para (I would rather be dancing, singing, & drawing than be doing school work!). Middle school, for me, is turning out harder than I thought it would. I have to arrive to classes in less than five minutes, solve harder problems, & do hard bell-ringers. When I am with my family, it feels much better than just being at school (except when I’m with my friend Isabella!!!!!!!). When people have autism, they don’t do anything to get it. They’re just born with it. Sometimes, if there’s too much for them, they can take deep breaths or do something else for a while to make them calm down. Even though autism can be a challenge in life, we people with autism can live complete and happy lives. People with autism can also be very opinionated. That means some things we like & others, we’ve always hated (Hey! I just made a rhyme with words that ended with the -ated sound!). For me, I love Disney and hate pirates and pirate movies. Some of us may have our likes and dislikes, but we are still regular people no matter what & autism is great because it makes us who we are!

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Read more great stories at colgazette.onset.freedom.com >>

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Filed under: Themes, Blind Visionaries, Deaf Jam, Irked Videos

Last week, we told you about HumanWare’s very groovy Trekker Breeze handheld talking GPS for people who are blind and visually impaired. But the company makes MANY cutting-edge, disability-friendly products! Check out these two BBC videos about another one of HumanWare’s groundbreaking devices—The DeafBlind Communicator (DBC), conceived by Washington state’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, built by the Canadian company HumanWare and perfected with feedback from members of Seattle’s deaf-blind community, consists of a Braille note-taker linked by Bluetooth to a mobile phone:

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Filed under: Themes, The UpDown Report

There are probably not that many jobs for which disclosing a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is a qualification rather than a drawback. But Debbie Mayes, who works at Lancaster University’s Spectrum centre for mental health research, has one of them. The stigma attached to mental illness in a high-achieving university setting, where reliability, consistency and accuracy are prioritised, has often meant that academics with a mental illness choose never to disclose their diagnosis. But in what Mayes says is an emerging trend in university recruitment, she was specifically appointed to her research position because of her experiences as a user of mental-health services, as well as her academic credentials.

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Filed under: Campaign Watch

Associated Press:

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida man born without arms says a Tampa bank would not let him cash a check because he couldn’t provide a thumbprint.

Steve Valdez didn’t have an account at a Bank of America location in downtown Tampa, where he tried to cash a check from his wife last week. However, Valdez has prosthetic arms and is unable to provide a thumbprint. He says he presented two forms of identification but was still denied.

He says a bank manager told him he could either come back to the bank with his wife or open an account himself.

Bank of America spokeswoman Nicole Nastacie says the bank has apologized to Valdez. Nastacie says the bank should have “offered alternative requirements if an individual is not able to give a thumbprint.”

[Via HuffPost, via St. Petersburg Times]

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Filed under: Themes, The UpDown Report, Irked Videos

The Bipolar Buddha!

The Marathon Man of Mirth!

A whole lotta laughter…after the jump!

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Filed under: Themes, Wheelchairman of the Board

Story tinged with sadness…after the jump

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Filed under: Regular Contributors, David Roche, Art Gallery

Original text by David Roche after the jump…

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Filed under: Themes, Tumour Humour, Irked Videos

First Descents provides whitewater kayaking and other outdoor adventure experiences to promote emotional, psychological and physical healing for young adults with cancer.

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