Define Me … If You Dare!
I have to accumulate all the data from these varying experiences and use them to define myself. Otherwise, others will do it for me.
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The Real Narcolepsy
Bad depictions in popular culture foster the narrative of the lazy narcoleptic: They’re lazy. They’re late/unproductive/lethargic employees. They’re uncaring lovers or absent friends. And so on and so on.
What You See … And What You Don’t See
What you won’t be able to see when you first meet me is this: I’m a published author. I read all the time. I write all the time, too. I dictate, using an old-fashioned cassette recorder, and my mother types up my finished drafts.
The Trope of Faking It
The notion of people faking disabilities is not at all new or novel–and, like many, many disability tropes, it’s a harmful one.
Growing Up Deaf in the Public School System
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I could finally understand that from the time of my diagnosis, my education was not going to be “complete,” because I did not have the full access I needed. It was as if intensive speech therapy and itinerant teachers were more important than having a sign language interpreter in my classes.
Separating Writer from Character
When I received my diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome seven years ago, I thought of all the young people today who face the social challenges and bullying that I faced decades earlier. I wanted to create a character like me, but one who fights back against the way others treat her in a way that I never did.
Lost in Translation
After second grade, I stopped reading most books unless they were assigned for class. Even then, I often didn’t read them. The reason being, when I read a sentence, I often didn’t understand it. Somewhere between my eyes seeing the words and my brain, the phrase disappeared into the ether.
Thanks for the Help, I Guess, But I’m Not Helpless!
All too often, portrayals of disability in literature mirror the common assumption that disability signifies helplessness.
Recommended Reading List
A brief list of recommendations our contributors put together.
Sister Act
In my experience, the disabled sibling in fiction exists purely to make the main character’s life more “difficult,” more “sympathetic.” Oh, that poor dear, the writers want you to think,