When I first learned about the art exhibit Opulent Mobility I was intrigued. An LA artist, A. Laura Brody, used wheelchairs and a walker as a base for fanciful, beautiful, impractical devices. The equipment was used as a beginning point, an armature to create inspired sculptures. These devices weren’t meant to make getting around easier. […]
Wholesome? Yes, wholesome I was in LA for a disability art show. Fortunately I was able to fit in dinner with a longtime friend who lives down there. We were sharing all our disability news when I was surprised a moment I didn’t expect. My friend brought out a laptop to show me a 30 […]
I thought I coined a phrase–criperati. I may have made it up, but there’s been others that also did. Google coughed up a couple two days after I started looking for antecedents. I see the use of criperti as recognition that the disability community is stratified even though we like to think we’re completely egalitarian. […]
First off, the new biopic of Stephen Hawking, “The Theory of Everything” is a pretty good movie, but not great. I enjoyed it but I have a pretty high tolerance for disability schmaltz. I dislike overcomer stories but don’t gag when I see them. I won’t go see movies that degrade and us and treat […]
Got an email from Risty Byce, a wheelchair using, rock ‘n’ roll drummer atI didn’t follow popular music, and metal in particular, too closely in the early 90s. This Queensrÿche video was brand new to me when Risty sent me a recommendation. I’m not sure about the overall sentiment, it seems to me to be […]
Has anyone noticed that the newly promoted, active accessibility symbol looks a lot like Good Willy? […]
That’s me with my sister Paula on the grounds of Polytechnic School in Pasadena. Notice the backpack. It seems like I spent an inordinate amount of time from middle school through college figuring out how to carry things, particularly school books, while using crutches. It’s not the sharpest snapshot but the backpack looks big. I […]
Wrestler Buff Bagwell and his wheelchair action figure with new Wheelchair Playset.Every once and awhile I search for wheelchair action figures. This week I found WrestlingFigures.com’s Wheelchair Playset. You can get the wheelchair in any one of six colors. I happened to get the color “wood.” It goes well with my Buff Bagwell action figure […]
In the summer of 1972 I spent weeks in Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley. I had managed to get third degree burns on my foot, which got infected. After IV antibiotics, a skin graft and months of elevating my leg it healed. During my stay friends from Sonoma County came to visit a couple of […]
Over the past four years I have had the incredible opportunity to produce lectures on disability in the fine arts at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. The museum is housed in a new lavish, cutting edge building. In my typical fashion I had forgotten to document them until a couple of months ago. So, this […]