When I started researching my discomfort with disabilities, my approach was laden with assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices. As I waded through texts on disability studies, I began to realize the complexity and depth of the issues involved. But it was meeting and talking with people that brought the issues to life. Books analyzed the…
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Now that you’ve read Part1 — my difficulty dealing with the idea of having a disabled child (which really was about my issues with disabilities); Part 2 — Nancy’s journey of adapting to a life on a wheelchair; and Part 3 — Bette’s constant struggle with diabetes, here is a look at some other…
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Read Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing this non-fiction account of these two women who showed me what it’s like to live a disabled life surrounded by “normal” people. —————— The “milder” disability Bette is a singer and songwriter, a registered nurse, a mother of three, and a music therapy student. She is…
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Read part 1 of this non-fiction account here, then get a cup of tea or coffee and cozy up with your preferred mobile or desktop device. This isn’t going to be one of those fast reads. ———- First Encounters The first time I saw Nancy standing was when I attended her physical therapy class….
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Today, I share with you the introduction to a story I wrote in 2004 about two women disabled in very different ways … one a diabetic and the other a paralyzed stroke victim. Part 1 is not so much their story as mine…in the next three days, I will take you on their journeys…
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Even before my dad had a heart attack a couple of years ago, I was keenly aware of the dangers we, South Asians, face when it comes to heart problems. Despite my slender physique and primarily vegetarian diet, I knew I wasn’t in the clear. But I was afraid to get the tests done…
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This one is from the archives. A recent health issue has prompted me to think about life with physical constraints. Every time I wonder what I’d do were I to lose the use of any of my senses or limbs, I think of two people — Janice and Nancy. This is Janice’s story that…
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