Reblogged: Not-So-Retail Therapy

This post reblogs a refreshing alternative to conspicuous consumerism, and adds some of our own thoughts triggered by the reblogged post. We should all strive to evaluate our needs and wants more carefully. There is a big difference between the two. Oftentimes what we THINK we need is actually a very strong desire, but doesn’t fit into a “vital” category: food, shelter, safety, water, health.

Speaking for ourselves, we find shopping (for ourselves) to be mostly a chore or obligation, and not one that we would consider “fun” or “relaxing.”

Shopping with someone else, to assist xem in finding things xe needs, is a different story depending on the person. For instance, our sister N needed to find dress shoes to match her dress for the Inauguration Ball (her boyfriend was on Obama’s campaign staff and the Inauguration committee staff also- thats why she was able to go). I (Andrea) and our mom met her in DC and we were out for 4 hours. I was exhausted by the end of it. All for a pair of shoes. But she NEEDED them for the occasion. And I figured since I don’t get to see N much now because we live 6 hours apart, that shopping was a way to spend some sister-time together. I actually insisted that I accompany mom and N on the shopping trip, to their pleasant surprise (they both know I hate malls due to noise and crowds.)

I was certainly thankful to be OUT of the mall when we all finally finished. After that I think we had a nice meal together. Mom and N probably said something about being proud of me for braving the mall for so long. I must have thought to myself “glad to help” and “thank goodness for comfortable ear plugs!”

Shopping for pleasure, to us, is an oxymoron most of the time.

Collaborative, mostly written by Andrea, finished by Ivan in her absence

Adventures in Thanks-Living

Most folks who know me well are aware that I do not take much pleasure in shopping–especially the kind of retail shopping that involves plunking down major cash outlays for transitory and often cheaply made consumer goods. In short, I just about have to be dragged to a shopping mall.

That said, I can understand how shopping can be classed as “retail therapy.” There’s the thrill finding that seemingly perfect item to fill a need, or more likely, a want in a person’s life. I’ve been there and done that and have come to find the outcome severely lacking.

Now I practice “not-so-retail” therapy. Let me explain. As a member of The Compact, I avoid buying new items that contribute to an ever-growing waste stream and violate principles of justice and equity that I hold important.

My latest “not-so-retail” therapy sessions involved Goodwill, Staples, and Dollar Tree. Here’s the…

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Reblogged: Shopping Expedition gone Awry

Wow. There are so many things wrong in this situation. Talk about deflating! This kind of thing is what many of us autistics experience in daily life. We need to figure out how to educate staff in grocery stores and retail in general, on proper etiquette when interacting with disabled customers who happen to bring friends/support people.

I would love to read suggestions from other self advocates, on how we can educate customer service employees to interact appropriately with autistic people and others with disabilities that might cause them to “appear” less intelligent, for lack of a better expression. Especially those like E who went with a friend, and had the employee talk to her friend rather than directly to her.

My wording is poor, but this has to go out. We have been sitting on this post for a very long time now.

Andrea

The Third Glance

While I know this is really minor compared to some things people go through on a regular basis, and my visible disability is temporary, I just wanted to share a story that happened to me yesterday. Not for reactions, just to point out that things like this happen. All the time.

I’m still on crutches, and as such, need to go with someone to the grocery store. My friend and I have a deal that involves a weekly trip, and we’ve been shopping together for more than a year. I keep him on task (he spaces out a lot, plus, I know where everything in the stores we go to is, and can quote prices, too), and he deals with people for me. It’s a good trade. So anyway, we were on our way out of a store last night, and were about 20 steps away from the register and…

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From diaryofamom: she’s not a baby

This may very well rub some autistic self-determination proponents the wrong way. I was taken aback the first time I read it. Some truths are harder to accept than others. 2 positive things to take away from this:

1) this mom didn’t want to write about it or admit it BUT SHE DID BOTH! There will be time to dissect all the “why she may not have wanted to admit it” later on. I don’t know the reasons. They are her reasons. But I think this is a big step for her and her family. I say this as an autistic person myself.

2) Her other daughter, an NT, pointed it out to her. This girl has ally potential already. Key word is POTENTIAL.

Kudos to DiaryOfAMom for fessing up and writing this. That was a huge step. One that should be recognized.

Ivan

Ann Coulter Discussion Continues

We are very glad that people are still thinking about Ann Coulter’s use of the r-word. Just yesterday I saw that someone had found our blog using the following search phrase: “autistic girl’s letter to Ann Coulter”
We do not know of such a letter, just the one we found and reblogged, written by a young man with Down Syndrome.
Talk is good, as it induces thinking. Now it is time for action.

When we have more time and energy, possibly over either Thanksgiving or (more likely) Winter Break, we will attempt to create a list of bookstores which sell her books, with contact information so that people can call and voice their concerns. We would love some help with that if anyone is up to the task; then it can get done much faster and we can get on with making calls or writing/emailing those bookstores! Seriously, we need to do this. Hitting Ann Coulter where it hurts the most, in her wallet, is the best way to send her and everyone else a message loud and clear: that hurtful and offensive comments do not and will not go unnoticed and unchallenged any longer.

Solidarity, fellow advocates and allies!

Let’s do this!!!!!!

Ivan

Reblogged from Many Of Us

This is so awesome! We thank every veteran we come across, if they are not socially inaccessible at the time (engaged in other conversations or things like that.)

Veterans, thank you so much for all of your sacrifices.

Welcome home.

Andrea the Integral
For all of us

Many of us's blog

BEFORE YOU GO
–Author Unknown

(Please read to the end, then click on the website — this is wonderful!)

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn’t in a good mood! Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, FL, eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker, and musician was bone tired after appearing at an event.

He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. “I took two bullets for this country, and look what I’m doing,” he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn’t know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, “Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.”

Then the old soldier began to cry.

“That really got to me,” Bierstock says.

Cut to today.

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach…

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WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL??? Or, Fuck you, OryCon!

Wow. So apparently Orycon, a sci-fi convention in Oregon that had scheduled an autism panel WITHOUT AUTISTIC REPRESENTATION, said, after being called out for not having autistic representation, that they would cancel the panel discussion.
The advocate doing the calling-out even explained what the problems were with the panel.

What she got for all her efforts and energy and VALUABLE SPOONS was a fake apology.

Yeah. She spends alot of time and energy and that’s what she got. I don’t really understand the entire situation to be honest, but I know enough to be absolutely outraged.

BUT WAIT, IT GETS BETTER! I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.

THEY HAD THE FREAKIN PANEL DISCUSSION!

Because of YOU, OryCon organizers, certain advocates will probably need days to recover from their frustration and overload and wasted efforts to explain to you what was wrong and how you could correct the situation.

I don’t believe this shit. OMFG, I’m so freaking angry right now.

But I highly doubt this is the first time something like this has happened in the history of autistic self advocacy.

K, and whoever else made such an effort to reach out to these goons on behalf of autistic self advocates everywhere, I am deeply deeply sorry, that your valuable energy was so shamelessly disrespected.

These people clearly had no appreciation whatsoever of the time, energy and stress you may have gone through in order to advocate for yourselves and the rest of us. But I surely do appreciate it. I would never have known about this if K and others hadn’t blogged about it in the first place.

And yes, I used the word goons to describe the organizers of OryCon. Why? Because they fucking lied about having cancelled the discussion panel. Bullshit they weren’t aware of it happening. Read K’s posts I linked to. All of them.

I hope this gets signal boosted into the stratosphere!

Nothing about us, without us!

Ivan, Andrea, and Athena

 

 

 

 

Reblogged: An Open Letter to Ann Coulter

More on the response to Ann Coulter’s insensitive tweet! This letter is amazing! I wouldn’t have been able to write something like this completely devoid of anger and harshness. Whether Ann Coulter understands this letter and takes it seriously doesn’t matter one bit. What is FAR MORE IMPORTANT is that many people are speaking out and responding to these kinds of letters from people who write them. People are talking about this issue and taking a stand. That’s how we can effect change.

Bravo, John!

Andrea

The World of Special Olympics

The following is a guest post in the form of an open letter from Special Olympics athlete and global messenger John Franklin Stephens to Ann Coulter after this tweet during last night’s Presidential debate.

Dear Ann Coulter,

Come on Ms. Coulter, you aren’t dumb and you aren’t shallow.  So why are you continually using a word like the R-word as an insult?

I’m a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s perception that an intellectual disability means that I am dumb and shallow.  I am not either of those things, but I do process information more slowly than the rest of you.  In fact it has taken me all day to figure out how to respond to your use of the R-word last night.

I thought first of asking whether you meant to describe the President as someone who was bullied as a child…

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Ann Coulter, The Disability Community is Coming after you!

Damn. I had almost an entire post written, and then My ipod decides to crash without saving it! This woman is able to spread her filth because the rest of us except her listeners don’t give a fuck. Well, if we want to send a message loud and clear not only to her but more importantly TO THE REST OF SOCIETY that this kind of crap will no longer go unchallenged, ITS TIME TO START GIVING A FUCK!!!!!!!! Get on social media, write letters to her sponsors, write to newspapers! LET US BLANKET THE NATION WITH OUR OUTRAGE!

Its more than just some dumb woman spewing hate. She is showing her hatred for an entire group of people (nothing new there) but let us make the result much different! Silence no more!

Athena

This Side of Typical

Or, like I like to refer to you, Cunty McCunterson.

Wow.  just…wow.  You know, I “get” that you get your attention by using shock value.  I understand that every fucking thing you say really has no meaning, or weight, or substance.  I get that you are just some lonely woman who needs the attention, good or bad.  Usually bad. I get that.  And I would give you a patronizing pat on the head any day of the week for that.

But really?

*sigh*  after last night’s debate, you did it.  AGAIN.  

And now no doubt you will trot out a little dog and pony show telling the world you should have used a different word.

Well, I’m going to stand by mine.  Cunt.

First off, it was the most OBVIOUS play to distract from Romney’s obvious loss with your stupid words.

But the second, and most important point.  By…

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Call for Proposals for 2013 SDS Conference

The Society for Disability Studies has announced a call for proposals for their annual conference in 2013 in Orlando Florida. Location details as well as submission guidelines and specifications for each categories can be found here

Let us make our voices heard! This conference, while not autism specific, is a great way to spread our message of inclusion and let others know what works well in terms of advocating for needs and such.

This is also a good platform to try and break down stereotypes about people with disabilities

I am not the best writer so I haven’t done justice to the SDS in writing this but all the info as well as topics from past conferences are on the site I linked to. Please post any questions in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them.

Andrea

This is touching

Chelsea Weddington posted in Support Group for Adult Mental Health Consumers

Chelsea Weddington 12:59pm Oct 12
I saw a cashier hand a little boy his money back at the mall, the boy couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6 years old. The Cashier said, ‘I’m sorry, but you don’t have enough money to buy this doll.” The little boy turned to the old woman next to him, ”Granny, are you sure I don’t have enough money?” She replied, ”You know that you don’t have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.” Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to. ‘It’s the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas. She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.’ I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. ‘No, Santa Claus can’t bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.’ His eyes were so sad while saying this, ‘My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.” My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said, ‘I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.’ Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself. He was laughing. He then told me ‘I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won’t forget me.’ ‘I love my mommy and I wish she didn’t have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.’ Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. ‘Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!” OK’ he said, ‘I hope I do have enough.’ I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. The little boy said, ‘Thank you God for giving me enough money!’ Then he looked at me and added, ‘I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me!” ‘I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.” ‘My mommy loves white roses.’ A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket. I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started. I couldn’t get the little boy out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl died right away and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy I read in the newspaper that the young woman had passed away. I couldn’t stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine, and in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him. Now you have 2 choices: (1) Copy & Paste this on your wall(: (2) Ignore it as if it never touched you