disability

Braided: Weaving Together Rhetoric of Space, Disability Studies, and Arntzen

unsureunderwaterobot3 Comments

Artist Statement:

Three years ago, I helped with the annual Global Health conference on Western’s campus. The theme was Criminalization of the Body, meaning we investigated why, how, and in what ways certain demographics experience marginalization of the body. One of the demographics we spent time on was the disabled community. Ironically, the conference was held in Arntzen Hall, arguably the most ableist building on campus. From there forward, I took notice of the potentially inequitable structures on campus.  

For my project, I compiled a zine that elaborates on the ableist characteristics of Arntzen Hall. Arntzen Hall was built in the late 60s and still stands as one of the most trafficked buildings on campus. It houses the largest lecture hall on campus, making it a hub for intro classes. Arntzen Hall stands as an example of the discriminatory rhetoric of space at WWU. There are countless other examples that piece together a message for Western staff, students and visitors, and that message is, “if you don’t fulfil our constraining, ableist ideals, you are not welcome here.”  

Terms:

Author’s note: many of these terms are nuanced beyond one definition; the definitions listed below are not stagnant or complete

  • Zine: Informal, small magazine, typically 8 quarter pages
  • Space: the tangible, spiritual, “atmospheric”, and contextual environment made up of relationships; persuasive place, cultivating e(a)ffect
  • Disability Studies: as defined by O’toole, Linton, Dolmage, folks in Disability Visibility, Brueggemann, Siebers, Johnson, and so many others, disability studies take on many hats; it is a field that challenges the normalization of being and embraces embodied rhetoric, centering the voices and stories of disabled folks
  • Arntzen Hall: A building on Western Washington University’s campus, constructed in the 60s; houses the largest lecture hall at WWU

Weaving Together Rhetoric of Space, Disability Studies, and Arntzen:

The importance of space extends beyond the physical makeup of infrastructure. Space cannot and does not exist in a vacuum; it has rhetorical power that produces and is produced by canonical perspectives. Often, the canonical perspective is designed by and for nondisabled people. The rhetorical power of space and the social model of disability braid together beautifully to give us a comprehensive look at ableist design. The social model of disability is explained by Bess Williamson as a model that sees the structures of the world as the producers of disability (Keywords For Disability Studies). This means that without the “space” we create, disability does not even exist; for example, a 3-story building that only has stairs (no other means of getting floor to floor) suggests that only folks who walk belong on the second and third floors. This example is a simplistic breakdown of rhetorical space, but as I am learning, rhetorical space can be philosophically complex, and even more complicated when trying to combat ableist structures (they are everywhere!).

Rhetorical space includes conceptual space as well; for example, time, communication, capacity for belonging, knowledge/education, and so much more is implied by space. In this research I hope to push the bounds past just “inclusive design” and into all-encompassing ideas of spatial equity. Throughout the past couple years, I have been looking into the distinction between inclusion and belonging. Any space can include tangible aspects of “inclusivity”, but what does it mean to create a space of true belonging? This project has given me further insight on belonging (and lack thereof).

Throughout this process, I was able to dive into the nuances of disabled space/time. The Question of Access: Disability, Space, Meaning, written by Titchkosky, dives into the complexities of space and its meaning-making tendencies.The author writes, “Disability is a way to make disruptions to the normative order sensible, and it does so even for orders steeped in the norm of disruption itself, such as moving; classroom design; and any other space/time issues” (Titchkosky pg. 47). The term “disruptions” came up frequently throughout this reading. Disrupting the “norm” is revolutionary, but for so many it is just living. Students and faculty members have made disruptions to Arntzen Hall since the 60s, but there is much more work to be done, in the physical, intellectual, and intimate/emotional space that Arntzen provides. I hope to portray the undisrupted aspects of Arntzen to draw attention to the importance of looking at rhetorical space through a disability studies lens. I do not offer alternatives, as it is beyond my scope of understanding, but I hope to find ways to pass on the microphone to folks living the disruption.

 I do navigate the university with mental/learning disabilities, but I am not physically disabled; because of this, I am unable to accurately see all the ableist structures in place. I do not embody the disruption I am arguing for, but I hope to articulate it in a way that respects those who do.

Zine: Page 1

Page 1: Image description
            Cover page with title across the top reading, “Braided: Weaving Together Rhetorical Space, Disability Studies, and Arntzen Hall”. Below the text is an image of two trees in front of a large building (Arntzen Hall). Between the trees is text that reads, “Notice! The door is closed: Arntzen’s structural design closes the door to so many. Let us learn how!”

Page 1: Author’s note
            The theme I chose for this zine is “braiding/weaving”. This theme stems from a concept brought to me by author, professor, and equity expert, Anu Taranath. Anu believes justice is a braid; it is a woven piece of art that contains multitudes of creativity, logistics, and humility. The theme is present throughout my images and dialogue. The primary braiding in my zine is of the concepts: rhetorical space, social model of disability studies, and the tangible building, Arntzen Hall. Weaving together these concepts, I aim to introduce and give examples of the physical, intimate/social, and intellectual space in Arntzen Hall.

Zine: Page 2

Page 2: Image description
            The title says, “Acknowledgements – No matter of words could pay proper respects to the Indigenous peoples of this land: Nooksack, Coast Salish, Lummi, and Duwamish peoples. They have and continue to watch over and tend for the land and waters in which WWU settles.” Below the text is an image of mountains cascading into the ocean as the sun sets. Below the image is a text that reads, “Additionally, I have a nondisabled body – I must acknowledge how space has privileged me and skewed my scope of Arntzen Hall. This zine was compiled via observation and academic reading, not first-hand experience.”

Page 2: Author’s note
            Arntzen Hall will always be an inherently imperial space. It is a settlement on Indigenous land, built by the colonial structures of academia. Academia is wildly inaccessible to people from diverse backgrounds, especially folks who intersect with disability. In acknowledging that Arntzen unrightfully sits on stolen land, I hope to draw the audience’s attention to the deeper systems of oppression that perpetrate the ableist features of Arntzen Hall and Western’s campus. Ableism, white supremacy, and heteropatriarchy run rampant through the physical, intimate, and intellectual spaces at Western. The foundations of Arntzen are grounded in genocide and erasure, the design and rhetorical impact of the building follows suit.
            Although I do navigate university with mental/learning disabilities, I am not physically disabled; because of this, I am unable to accurately see the ableist structures in place. I do not embody the disruption I am arguing for. My second acknowledgment is in hopes of recognizing my own positionality in this project. I cannot see what does not impact me or those around me. I took notes, pictures, and spoke with friends openly, investigating ableist aspects of Arntzen, but this zine and my research is not comprehensive or complete. I hope I articulated that in a way that respects those who are impacted everyday by the inequitable structures at Western.

Zine: Page 3

Page 3: Image description
            The title reads, “Meet Our Key Players”. Three “Hello, my name is…” tags stagger across the page. The top one is rhetorical space, then disability studies, then Arntzen Hall. The text says, “Through this zine, we will be observing 3 types of space in Arntzen Hall through a disability studies lens.” A sketch of glasses is in the lower right corner. Next to it is text reading the three spaces: “1. Physical, 2. Intimate/Social, and 3. Intellectual.”

Page 3: Author’s note
            Introducing each “key player” in my zine was more difficult than I anticipated. Aside from Arntzen Hall, these are expansive concepts that would need pages upon pages to truly define. I hoped this page would pull together my idea of braiding; I have included so many ideas on such few pages, ideally this page acts as a summery, explaining how they all fit together.

Zine: Page 4

Page 4: Image description
            The title says, “Physical Space-”. Below the text is a women’s restroom sign. An arrow notes that the sign does include braille, but maps, the elevator, and signs leading to the 5th floor did not. Below the restroom sign is a sign that reads, “closest accessible RR is one the 1st floor of the environmental building”. An arrow points to that sign and notes, “sign is on the 5th floor of Arntzen: 4 floors and 1 building away from this RR.” Text at the bottom of the page reads, “Rhetorically, this sign uses the imperial gender binary- an intimate aspect of one’s identity. The same imperial structures that built Arntzen’s ableist infrastructure.” piece

Page 4: Author’s note
            I chose physical space as the first of the three spaces because it is the easiest to explain/understand. We are all capable of calling out designs that are not wheelchair friendly or visually accessible. The women’s restroom sign stood out to me as the most impactful image. It embodies the imperial influences of ableism and heteropatriarchy. Disability studies is intersectional, so I included bits about the violence of the gender binary in addition to my analysis of the ableist design in Arntzen. When I was strolling around every floor in Arntzen, I was appalled by how few accessible restrooms there were. Additionally, I could not find a single gender-neutral restroom. I got to the fifth floor and saw it was no different; four floors and an entire building away from an accessible restroom! The physical space of Arntzen Hall does not only influence the amount of time it would take a wheelchair-user to get to an adequate restroom, it influences the amount of time they must miss class/work. Space and design work rhetorically in expansive ways.

Zine: Page 5

Page 5: Image description
            The title says, “Intimate Space – Intimate/Social space is made up of tangible designs that produce conceptual ideas – the mainstream lecture hall design produces ableist ideals, stemming from hierarchical discourse.” Below is an image of the Arntzen Lecture Hall 101. Arrows point out that it is the biggest hall on campus. The text notes that the accessible seating is in the back of the class, furthest from the board and professor. It notes how the seats are assembled in a way in which students do not interact with anyone but the professor, giving the professor all the power.

Page 5: Author’s note
            Intimate/social space is a bit more nuanced than the physical space. Arntzen 101 is set up in a rank-and-file system, meaning the seats are situated in columns and rows. Every chair faces the same direction toward the front, where the professor/instructor is. It is well accepted that classrooms have a front and back, no matter where the door may be, creating a hierarchal structure of closest to power, and furthest. The dynamic that is produced by and from a classroom set-up is one of dominance and submission. The language itself, “front” and “back”, is entangled with hierarchy and hegemony. Hegemony, as explained by Marx, is produced by the superstructures in place that conceal inequitable distribution of power. A classroom acts as a superstructure, leading the teacher to power and the students to oppression (for a lack of other language).  

The space of a classroom was designed—produced, to uphold specific dynamics, rules, and boundaries, but it also produces dynamics, rules, and boundaries. These dynamics of hierarchy pertain to all students, but those who are disabled take the brunt. In the image I drew, I noted that the accessible seating was only in the back, furthest from power. This is an isolating design that rather than includes/immerses disabled folks, segregates them.  

Zine: Page 6

Page 6: Image description

            The title says “Intellectual Space – Whether it be academic or not, space informs our existence.us. Arntzen hall assumes so much about its attendees; it assumes nondisabled body, nondisabled means of communication, nondisabled way of processing. The building, like so many university halls around the US was produced by and continues to produce white, nondisabled, academics.” Below the text is an image of a nondescript white man and text that reads, “Arntzen was a white man who was deemed important enough to have a building named after him” “that building was then designed by a white man from Seattle named Ibsen Andreas Nelsen. That same building produces thousands of nondisabled, white academics every year”

Page 6: Author’s note

The space in Arntzen Hall is dark (or florescent), outdated, and uncomfortable. Unsuitable for learning. I thought for so long how to best portray the intellectual space. Academia is often normalized to be for nondisabled, white people. I chose a man, despite white women being the largest demographic of college attendees because white men have held the historic representation for intellectual space for so long. I chose to draw Arntzen himself (or what I think he looks like; I could not find any images of him).

Zine: Page 7

Page 7: Image description
            The final page is titled “Other Observations – of physical, intimate/social, and intellectual spaces in Arntzen Hall and their rhetorical impact: (all through a disability studies POV). Braiding Together Disability Rhetoric and Arntzen Hall,” There are images of a braided money tree, a door handle and a sticker reading, “Automatic Door Caution,” a door with brick flooring, and a rigid desk. Arrows point to the images noting that the handle is hard to grip, the “automatic” door was not function 2/3 times I visited, and the desk is for a thin, nondisabled body. One note, pointing to the desk says, “What does this furniture tell its audience? What are the constraints?”

Page 7: Author’s note
            This final page is simply a compilation of honorable mentions. I spent a lot of time observing Arntzen and gathered far more insight than what could be included in a zine. As I observed Arntzen Hall, I took photographs and made notes of what I saw. Throughout this process I was unsurprised, yet incredibly disappointed by what I found. Moving forward I hope to continue taking note of the ableist spaces around me and how they influence folks’ lives. I hope to consider the disruptive and revolutionary lives of those consistently fucked over by ableist spaces

Questions to Ponder Moving Forward:

How do we cultivate space beyond just inclusion into true belonging?

How does access play a role in being a student at Western? In the school of Humanities?

What does spatial equity look like to you? Might there be opposing equitable spaces? How do we balance these oppositions?

Work Cited

Dolmage, Jay Timothy. “What Is Metis?” Disability Studies Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 1, 2020, https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v40i1.7224.

Keywords for Disability Studies, edited by Rachel Adams, et al., New York University Press,
2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/lib/wwu/detail.action?docID=3564341.

Titchkosky, Tanya. The Question of Access: Disability, Space, Meaning. University of Toronto Press, 2011.

Wong, Alice. Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. Vintage Books, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020.

Disability in Gaza

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Author’s Statement 

            A lot of the work I have done throughout my years at Western Washington University has been oriented towards Palestine and the occupation. I wanted to find a way to talk about disability in the context of Palestine, it was something I thought of a lot throughout the course. As a Palestinian woman and activist, I see a lot of disability in the context of war. Children, adults, seniors who peacefully protest for the right to their land and end up getting attacked and physically disabled as a consequence. I became curious about how disability effects people as a result of violence. What are the effects on children? What is medical treatment like if it is so sparse? How many people end up disabled due to occupation in Palestine? I decided to narrow my focus to the Gaza strip, the most impoverished and targeted region in Palestine. My aim with this paper is to widen my understanding of disability in the context of war as well as connect with readers on an emotional level about the topic through a creative essay. I learn best when I can personally connect or become emotionally touched and so I would like to try to get my readers to connect on that level as well as through a factual, analytical essay. 

Disability in Gaza 

            Disability is not a topic that is typically studied within the school system in the United States. While many of the people around us are affected directly and indirectly by disability, it is not often we here about the experience of those with disability. Due to this lack of knowledge, it is difficult to take on an advocacy role for the disability community. In this paper, I will be taking a closer look at disability caused specifically by warfare and violence and its effects on mental health on the people of Gaza. 

            Palestine has been under Israeli occupation for the last 73 years. Throughout this occupation, Israel has broken 23 international laws of warfare, which are created and enforced by the United Nations, repeatedly. These include the targeting of children, elderly, and people with disabilities, the use of illegal weapons, chemical warfare, and more. An example of this can be found in an article by Human Rights Watch, “A March 2019 UN Commission of Inquiry report found that Israeli forces fired on people with disabilities, among other identifiable groups, “knowing who they are,” although protesters did not pose an imminent threat in the vast majority of cases they investigated, making those killings unlawful.” (Human Rights Watch).  Consequently, many Palestinians acquire physical disabilities because of violence and to make it even more dire, they do not have access to the medical care that they need due to the fact that Israel decides what materials, medicines, and people enter and exit the Palestinian territories. I will be looking at the occupied territory of Gaza, a sliver of land that now serves as a large, open-air prison for about two million people. The people of Gaza cannot leave by land, if they come within fifteen feet of the fence, they are shot and killed. If they try to leave by boat on the Mediterranean Sea and their boats will be shot down by the Israeli enforced barricade along the coastline and survey it twenty-four hours a day. With less than 4% of the water being drinkable, constant bombings, and electricity that only lasts four hours a day (if that), surviving is almost impossible, let alone living. 

            Let’s start out by looking at a few statistics. Statistics on warfare in Palestine are very difficult to find due to the fact that people and information are not allowed in or out of Palestine under Israeli imperialism. AlJazeera, a Middle Eastern news website writes, “About 48,000 people in Gaza, or about 2.4% of the population, have a disability. More than one fifth are children.” (AlJazeera). If you do the math, this means that of the two million people in Gaza, 9,600 are disabled children being overlooked by Israel and the United Nations. According to the Human Rights Watch, “The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) notes that 498,776 Gaza residents, or 25% of Gaza’s population, experience psychological distress and have a mental health condition.” (Human Rights Watch). It can be inferred that a lot of that psychological distress is caused by living in danger every day while also trying to find ways to survive. They have to worry so much about where their next meal is coming from, or when they will have access to electricity for heat and light, the basic needs a human has and because of that, they cannot focus on healing their trauma and instead it becomes worse. This results in mental health issues that can become debilitating quite quickly without the help of professionals. The Human Rights Watch also notes, “In 2018 and 2019, according to the UN OCHA, 156 Palestinians had limbs amputated after being wounded by Israeli fire during demonstrations along the fences separating Gaza and Israel” (Human Rights Watch). This is only one form of violence among many. 

            A lot of the issues that people with disabilities face are made significantly more difficult, sometimes impossible, due to the occupation. The first example of this is lack of electricity, “The effect of recurring power cuts on people with disabilities who need light to communicate through sign language, or electric lifts or scooters to get around.” (AlJazeera). With getting little as four hours of electricity a day, due to Israeli control of the only power plant in Gaza, it makes it difficult for people who are visually or audibly impaired to communicate with those around them. This becomes a large problem when the people of Gaza are constantly at risk of being bombed throughout the day. If one cannot see or hear the bombs and they have no light to communicate through sign language with people around them, it becomes a large complication in terms of their safety as well as their mental health. Without being able to communicate with others, people are also isolated and separated from their community and their support system. Not to mention the fact that those in electric wheelchairs are incapable of moving around for days at a time. With no means of transportation, how are they supposed to take care of themselves and their families? The many restrictions, especially those on supplies and travel, placed on the Palestinian territory also takes a large toll, “The restrictions prevent people from getting training and prevent outside experts from entering Gaza.” (Human Rights Watch). Doctors cannot be trained to give medical care to those that need it and if they did have the training to do so, finding the medical supplies is another hindrance they face. The lack of access leads to a lack of medical support that many need in order to survive, especially those constantly being threatened by violent acts. Without that support these people cannot stay healthy, let alone thrive and find joy in life. They do not have the means to succeed or to be given the chance to thrive, “The Israeli-imposed electricity crisis, shortages of assistive devices, and an inaccessible physical environment, block people with disabilities from living independently and fully participating in their communities.” (Human Rights Watch). We have seen the power that community brings to a person with disabilities’ life. They get opportunities to thrive, to live, to believe in themselves. They have support for any sort of trauma or negative thoughts or feelings towards their disability by being part of a community. This is seen as a luxury in Palestine, something a lot of people with disabilities do not have access too. For a child, traumatized from war with no access to medical assistance, and living in fear being cut off from their community is the cherry on top of a mountain of destructive problems they must face. 

            Children are also greatly affected by war; it causes mental health issues as well as emotional and physical health. When a child undergoes disability as a result of violence, it will inevitably change them in a physical, emotional, and mental capacity. Nirmala Erevelles writes about the effects of wartime on people within the disability community, “Children exposed to war experience post- traumatic stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, psychophysiological disturbances, behavioral problems and personality changes, as well as physical traumas resulting from injury, physical deformities, and diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, and parasites.” (126, Erevelles). The toll it takes on the mental, physical, and emotional health of a child is dramatic. It can change the way they see the world, cause them to live in a state of constaniut fear. A lot of these mental health issues can also become debilitating and affect their everyday life. R. Srinivasa Murthy records the following statistics, “In a series of studies during the last 10 years from the Gaza Community Mental Health Centre, the most prevalent types of trauma exposure for children were witnessing funerals (95%), witness to shooting (83%), seeing injured or dead strangers (67%) and family member injured or killed (62%).” (Murthy). The majority of children in Palestine suffer from trauma and other mental health issues that affect their everyday life. Disability caused by war causes them to grow up quicker, have a more negative outlook on life, and destroy their dreams of a brighter future. According to this article, at least 10% of these children will be left with mental health issues that will negatively affect their ability to function as a person. Without the assistance to manage and deal with these issues, as well as the physical ones caused by war, they resort to a life of misery and helplessness that they do not have the tools to push through. 

            In the end, for those that become disabled or are disabled during war and in the face of violence, simply surviving is a challenge. With lack of resources and medical knowledge, it can become impossible to survive, let alone thrive. “The sheer scope of this violence should be difficult to ignore, and yet it is ignored; its invisibility is justified by the imperialist/neocolonial state that aims to regulate and control differences seen as disruptive to the “natural” order of global civil society.” (Erevelles, 131). We need to put a focused light on those struggling with disability that call for the help of others. We cannot turn a blind eye to those who cannot fight for themselves, we must advocate and educate those around us in hopes of making a difference for the lives of these people, these children. They are human and they deserve the attention, support, love, and community that we all do in this life. 

Works Cited 

Al Jazeera. “Gaza: Life ‘Extraordinarily Difficult’ for People with Disability.” News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 3 Dec. 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/3/life-in-gaza-extraordinarily-difficult-for-disabled-hrw. 

“Gaza: Israeli Restrictions Harm People with Disabilities.” Human Rights Watch, 21 Apr. 2021, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/12/03/gaza-israeli-restrictions-harm-people-disabilities. 

Hall, Kim Q. Feminist Disability Studies. Indiana University Press, 2011. 

Murthy, R Srinivasa, and Rashmi Lakshminarayana. “Mental Health Consequences of War: A Brief Review of Research Findings.” World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Masson Italy, Feb. 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472271/. 

Inherently Beautiful

            We spend our childhood, our lives, being told what our bodies should look like. That they should be thin and fit, covered in muscle and a delicate layer of tan skin. That women have elegant curves, shaping them to look like a sand filled hourglass. Breakable and ethereal. Men must be made of unbreakable muscle, the six squares on their stomach symbolizing strength and sex. This is what matters the most. The way the body looks in the eyes of the beholder, the way it feels so soft and perfectly smooth when pushed against another. We take hours out of our day to go to the gym, sweat dripping from our bodies as we aim for an unattainable goal. We restrict the food we eat in order to make sure our diet doesn’t hold us back from getting there. We miss out on so much of life trying to fulfill this standard. The one we set for ourselves without asking why? What for?  

            You know those moments? The ones that seem to wake you up from a dream, one you don’t notice you’ve spent so long stuck in until someone snaps their fingers in front of your face and you’re suddenly awake? Well, I had one of those moments in the beginning of college and it felt like a stinging slap in the face. For me, that awakening came in the form of a film. 

            Gaza Fights for Freedom, a documentary being shown on my college campus. I was asked to go and answer questions about the occupation of Palestine after the film was shown to a group of students and faculty. I know why they asked me, to me it was just another job I’d been asked to do as a member and a voice for the Palestinian community. A role the school decided I should fulfill based on nothing but the blood running through my veins and the olive color of my skin. I remember how hard it was to watch the film. I remember swallowing the burning vomit rising up the back of my throat as pictures of dead children, their crimson blood creating pools in the cracks of broken, gray cement, filled my vision. I listened to the piercing screams of the children of Gaza as they cried out to a world that never bothered to listen to them. They fought for their right to exist, their right to breathe, the right to be seen as a human being instead of an infectious disease that needed to be wiped out. I remember clenching my sweaty hands until my fists turned white, fighting the urge to cry as I watched these people die, people whose names would never be known, who the world would never mourn. 

            I remember Ali. Ali is a nineteen-year-old Palestinian, when I looked at his face, at his eyes, he looked startlingly like my cousins. He had a passion for basketball. He played every day with his friends on a broken court covered in dust and debris from bombings. He was an incredibly smart kid, studying history and dreaming of leaving Gaza to attend college and earn a degree. He wanted to provide and save his parents and his siblings so that they might have a better life. Ali decided to join his people at the front lines, peacefully protesting at the wall between Gaza and Israel. He was yelling for his freedom, waving a flag covered in forest green, royal red, clean white, and regal black The flag rippled proudly as the wind blew through it. Ali was standing to tell the world he was there, that he deserved to exist. Ali got shot in the leg with an illegal Israeli made bullet. The bullet erupted in his leg, sending shrapnel through his flesh and muscle, ripping it to shreds. His ears rang, blood was everywhere, pain coursed through his body until it slammed against the cold ground and his eyes closed. The next thing Ali knew, he was waking up in a makeshift hospital, now with only one leg and a small chance of surviving the next few months with no access to medical treatment. 

            Somehow, Ali survived and for that he was grateful. His amputated leg recovered without infection. During his interview in the film, Ali spoke about his body. The way that he is grateful that it recovered, as sad as he was about losing the ability to walk, to play basketball, his body was still his and his voice still worked. Ali continues to find ways to go to these peaceful protests, even after losing his leg in such a gruesome and cruel way, turning his life in a direction it shouldn’t have gone. Ali said his body was a tool, a means of movement. His tool may have been damaged but that is no reason to accept defeat, to accept misery or pity. I remember salty tears running over my lips as I saw him smile, a kid the same age as me who never took his body or health for granted. 

            I felt nothing but admiration for Ali. I never felt pity or sorrow. In a way, I was jealous. Jealous that he was wise enough to realize something that I never did. That the body is simply a tool. It’s a vessel for something so much more important, so much more valuable. It’s the casing that holds a bright soul. A soul with a purpose, a soul with a destiny and an impact. The vessel can be broken but the soul remains intact. There is no reason to have sadness or pity when you cross the street and see a child in a wheelchair or crutches. There is no reason to feel pity for someone who’s vessel is a little bit different than our own. Their soul is intact. Their soul is fighting. Their soul is valuable and unchanging. That day I promised myself I would smile. I would forever smile at those society frowns upon, at those that people deem unnatural or unwanted. I will smile, knowing their soul is colorful, bright, and smiling back at me. 

            I made another promise that day. I promised to appreciate my own body. The way it looks, the way it moves. I will appreciate every scar, every stretch mark, and every step I take. I am lucky enough to have this beautiful casing for my soul. It deserves much more than a trip to the gym every day or a juice cleanse. It deserves ice cream, naps, and to be appreciated for doing what it was always meant to do. To hold my soul. Isn’t that beautiful in itself? 

De-Centering Whiteness to Make Room for Black Joy

unsureunderwaterobot1 Comment
  1. The title and author of the source 

Keh Brown, “Nurturing Black Disabled Joy” 

  1. An objective summary of the reading 

Brown begins by identifying themselves as a Black woman with CP, who strives toward joy in a world that assumes its absence. She states her argument that emphasizes inclusion within (and outside) the disabled community, in a way that de-centers whiteness. Popular culture sees disability through the lens of a cishet white man who is a wheelchair user and hates his life. This image is a monolith and erases the author; she aims to combat this. Her end goal is joy and the agency to live fully. Using the hashtag #DisabledAndCute, Brown broadcasted her joy. She says that her perspectives often leave people angry or confused, but that. The quote is included below, but she states that days in which joy is absent, it is important to remember, feeling at all is a gift. 

  1. 3 or more quotations (with page numbers) 

“No one should have to be happy all the time- no one can be, with all the ways in which life throws curveballs at us. On those days, it’s important not to mourn the lack of joy but to remember how it feels, to remember that to feel at all is one of the greatest gifts we have in life.” (Brown pg. 119) 

My joy is my freedom—it allows me to live my life as I see fit. I won’t leave this earth without the world knowning that I chose to live a life that made me happy, made me think, made me whole. I won’t leave this earth without the world knowing that I chose to live.” (Brown pg. 120) 

In response to readers who were confused, frightened, or angry, “… reacted defensively because they’re not centered in my story– because I am calling for inclusion that decenters whiteness.” (Brown pg. 118) 

  1. A personal reflection naming 2 or 3 take-aways from the reading 

I thought this reading was a brilliant depiction of intersectionality (intersectionality or die). The author takes note of their identity and experiences, then forms an educated notion that centers the lives of those who most frequently experience marginalization. She is aiming to reframe thinking; away from cishet white guys, to Black disabled womxn; away from the despair life may throw at you, to the joy that exists! I hate commenting on this, but this piece was very accessibly digestible (even my old-fart of a father could read this and gather something from it). Brown successfully drops knowledge and encouragement, while challenging the reader to be better. 

Arntzen Sucks and It’s Zine Time

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Three years ago, I helped with the annual Global Health conference on Western’s campus. The theme was Criminalization of the Body, meaning we investigated why, how, and in what ways certain demographics experience marginalization of the body. One of the demographics we spent time on was the disabled community. Ironically, the conference was held in Arntzen Hall, arguably the most ableist building on campus. From there forward, I took notice of the potentially inequitable structures on campus, and I was appalled by what I noticed (that I don’t have to navigate in my bodymind).

For my project, I will be compiling a zine that elaborates on the ableist characteristics of Arntzen Hall. Arntzen Hall was built in the late 60s and still stands as one of the most trafficked buildings on campus. It houses the largest lecture hall on campus, making it a hub for intro classes. Arntzen Hall stands as an example of the discriminatory rhetoric of space at WWU. There are countless other examples that piece together a message for Western staff, students and visitors, and that message is, “if you don’t fulfill our constraining, ableist ideals, you are not welcome here.”  

The zine I am making will break down these institutionalized ideals and offer insight on rhetoric of space. Rhetoric of space is so important to me, personally. I find deep relation to the space I inhibit and value in the power of design. In class, I was struck by the chapter in Disability Visibility, The Beauty of Spaces Made by and for Disabled People. This chapter emphasized the importance of space and what it tells us. Space means so much more than just the architecture of a building the design of a sofa. It is atmospheric and transcendent. It is rhetorical. And for that reason, I will be looking at not only physical space, but educational and social/relational space as well.

My final product will be handmade! I will cut a piece of printer paper, fold it, and fill each page with nuggets of gold from my research. Because a zine can only hold so much information, I hope to write a short essay elaborating on my findings as well.

So far, I have done research and light sketching. I know the general format that my zine will take and am gathering the content. I spent some time researching rhetoric of space, the inequitable systems of education, and inclusive spaces. I recently went to Arntzen Hall and did some firsthand investigating. I recognize that my observations came from a singular place of ignorance. I can only gather the information I think to gather! I play a part in this research in a way that may prevent comprehensive data. I am working through that as I continue to gather data. In a true research project, I think I would hope to include perspectives of folks with disabilities, but because of timing and my current capacity to take on more work, I will have to settle with my perspective only.

Moving forward, I will finish compiling research and piecing together what I learn reading with what I experience in Arntzen Hall. I will be concise in my summary and explain my findings through storytelling and images on the 8 allotted pages of a typical zine.  

Current summary of zine: 

  • Page 1: Title Page – Image of Arntzen Hall 
  • Page 2: Intro to Arntzen, Rhetorical Space, and Disability Studies 
  • Page 3: Outline summary of what will be included 
  • Page 4: Breakdown of physical space 
  • Page 5: Breakdown of intellectual space 
  • Page 6: Breakdown of social/relational space 
  • Page 7: Reinforce what was learned  
  • Page 8: Closing notes and sources 

Arntzen in Action: Producing and Produced by Ableism

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  1. Title 

Arntzen in Action: Producing and Produced by Ableism 

  1. Central question 

How is Arntzen Hall produced by and producing ableism and disability itself? 

  1. Product design 

I plan on designing a zine/comic book personifying Arntzen Hall and illustrating a learning experience regarding ableist spaces. I believe visual representation of concepts as heady as “rhetoric of space” are helpful for comprehension.  

Lay out a possible structure. If you’re making a zine, what might go in it? Where will you go for your images? How might it be broken up? 

As attached below, I have drawn up a rough draft of the zine, breaking it up into 8 pages. Each page will include an illustration or design of sort, educational information that I pull from class/readings, and a bit of a storyline (the building learning more about ableism of space).  

Page 1: Title Page – Image of Arntzen Hall 

Page 2: Intro to Arntzen, rhetorical space, and disability studies 

Page 3: Outline of what will be included 

Page 4: Physical space 

Page 5: Intellectual space 

Page 6: Some other space (still working on it, hopefully will come from the reading 

Page 7: Further outlining of what Arntzen learned 

Page 8: Sources 

If you have more than one idea, fully invest in at least one here, rather than only saying a few things about each of them. 

Essentially I have one key idea, but I am breaking it up into 3 sub-ideas that provide further detail.  

  1. Production plan 
    How will you go about creating this product? What are the steps you have in mind? The big dates to keep in mind: 

I will sketch and doodle ideas in my free time (as far as the design aspect goes).  

Week Nov. 1: Complete project proposal 
Sign up for meeting with Andrew 

Week Nov. 8: Read through chosen readings (listed below) and pull out information 
Compile notes/readings from class that pertain  
Complete data collection before meeting with Andrew on Nov. 11 
Nov. 11: I will meet with you with the information I have found and maybe we can go over how I can best summarize/find what’s most important to include.  

Week Nov. 15: Visit Arntzen Hall and do some (first hand) research on the space 
Summarize findings and prepare written responses 
Write-up of my research (what I found in short essay format) 

Week Nov. 22: My work-in-progress will include a full rough draft of the zine and a short essay write-up of my findings. All design aspects will be present, but not refined. 

Week Nov. 29 – Dec. 6: Finishing touches on zine and final edits on paper and bibliography 
Dec. 8: Due date 

  1. Consultation 

You already helped me find readings. In our meeting (early on), I would like to discuss what information should be included in the zine (based on what I have found) and how the storyline should be set up (so that I can include as much information as possible without overdoing the pages). I’m hoping you will guide me to include any forgotten details and fill in the missing parts of the zine.  
Ask me specific questions of things you want to know about the assignment or information you want me to fill in about particular topics. I might be able to answer them or not, depending on how specialist your topic is 

I hope to talk with you about the rhetoric of space and how I can tell it like a story. I have a few questions on atmospheric space and the structures of education specifically in the social sciences at Western.  

  1. Citations 
    Give three possible readings you might reference in your project in some way. No need to say anything about them now. 

The Question of Access: Disability, Space, Meaning 

Keywords of Disability Studies // Chapter Space, Access, Communication, Design, Education, Institutions 

What is Metis // Jay Dolmage  

Major Project Proposal – “Disability and Science”

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Disability and Science

An examination on rhetoric and science implemented by disabled people, written in a somewhat formal style reminiscent of ACS writing standards for scientific papers, but not strictly conforming to the guidelines. 

Questions:

  1. What is the rhetoric of disability in science?
    1. Popular examples:
      1. Stephen Hawking – Physicist, motor neuron disease
      2. Temple Grandin – Animal behaviorist, autistic
      3. Solomon Lefschetz – Mathematician, lost both hands.
      4. John Forbes Nash Jr. – Mathematician, mental illness (Beautiful Mind)
      5. Albert Einstein – Physicist, believed to be autistic
    2. Other examples
      1. Wanda Diaz-Merced
      2. Caroline M. Solomon
  2. How has their disability been reflected in their scientific pursuits? (What disciplines do they go for? How does their disability affect how they see their field of interest?)
  3. Pop. sci vs.  Academia (science tinged with personal stories vs. strictly factual analysis)

Potential Resources:

  1. Disabled Scientists Are Often Excluded From The Lab; Copyright © 2021 NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/27/1000869161/disabled-scientists-are-often-excluded-from-the-lab
  1. Science and Disability: Interviews in the General Collection
https://www.sciencehistory.org/science-and-disability-interviews-in-the-general-collection
  1. Our Disabilities Have Made Us Better Scientists; By Gabi Serrato Marks, Skylar Bayer on July 10, 2019
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/our-disabilities-have-made-us-better-scientists/
  1. Celebrating scientists with disabilities – The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/diversity-in-science/scientists-with-disabilities/

Project Proposal

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  1. Title
    1. My central question Is what is the effect of becoming disabled as a child as a result of war and what that does to their mental state. The proposed product is a creative piece about these children’s lives and experiences.
  2. Central Question
    1. I’m trying to understand and put my feet into the shoes of the people my age in my country that have become disabled due to standing up for their rights and independence. I want to understand what this does to their mentality.
  3. Product Design
    1. This project is going to look like a creative non-fiction piece that forces readers to connect and learn about what it is like to be a child with a disability due to war. It will be influenced by my experience as a Palestinian woman and the research I have done for this project.
    2. I think the structure will come to me as I research, it is going to have a lot of my personal thoughts and feelings influencing the piece and so I think I’m just going to write and see what comes out and go from there.
    3. I really want to explore the mentality here. I want to know how exactly it feels to be a disabled child as a victim of war, and then to be targeted because of that disability. I want to know what it does to know the medical attention that you need, you’ll never get. I want to see what it does to know you can be permanently scarred for standing up for your right to survive.
  4. Production Plan
    1. I’m going to start by researching, then write everything I feel and want to say out before editing and organizing it into a coherent creative piece. (I know this isn’t super planned out but my creative pieces work best when they aren’t.
  5. Consultation
    1. I think it would be the most helpful to meet with Andrew towards the end of my project when I have the working pieces and I am trying to sort my thoughts out. I want input and perspective on my writing and its effectiveness for the reader.
  6. Citations
    1. http://humanityjournal.org/issue11-3/a-deep-and-ongoing-dive-into-the-brutal-humanism-that-undergirds-liberalism-an-interview-with-jasbir-k-puar/
    2. https://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/no-end-sight-seven-years-war-syria-children-disabilities-risk-exclusion
    3. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-palestine-israel-war-disability-children-school

Don’t Mourn for Them, Learn for Them

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Don’t Mourn for Us // Jim Sinclair

Summary:

Don’t Mourn for Us is an essay written by Jim Sinclair about the complexities of birthing and raising an autistic child. The author explores the processing period for parents who have autistic children; they break down the misconceptions and reframe thinking from mourning, to learning. Autism is described as foreign-ing. By this, I mean that autism is not a dismissible characteristic, but rather a way of being outside of our preconceived notion of “normal”. Sinclair gives tips as to how to refashion perspectives in a way that honors autism.

Quotes/Analysis: 

“I urge parents to make radical changes in their perceptions of what autism means” (Sinclair pg. 2).

I believe this quote gets to the heart of the essay. This is what the author is requesting. 

“Autism isn’t something a person has, or a “shell” that a person is trapped inside. There’s no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, very aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person, and if it were possible, the person you’d have left would not be the same person you started with” (Sinclair pg. 2). 

I believe this quote is why the author feels so strongly about training parents of autistic children. This quote explains the true meaning of autism, which is often misunderstood and then poorly approached. 

“Grieve if you must, for your own lost dreams. But don’t mourn for us. We are alive. We are real. And we’re here waiting for you” (Sinclair pg. 4).

This quote is part of the authors recommendations for moving forward. 

Reflection: 

There are aspects of the language used that made me uncomfortable, but maybe that’t the reality of having an autistic child? I was surprised the way the author closed with a scenario of an alien child, referring to them as “it”. But overall I think this was a very insightful read. I think it would/will take so much unlearning to think in the way the author is recommending. The framework they are coming from is so foreign for so many people, but it is worth sharing. 

Peter Singer is Spooky as Hell

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  1. The title and author of the source 

Unspeakable Conversations // Harriet McBryde Johnson 

  1. An objective summary of the reading 

In this reading, the author tells a story of their experience with Peter Singer. Singer is an educator at Princeton University who believes in and fights for assisted suicide and infanticide of disabled peoples. The author is a disabled lawyer, fighting against Singer’s notions, in order to defend their own life.  

In the chapter, the author walks their readers through a series of events—the major ones being: when the author went to one of Singers talks in town, their email exchanges, and the author’s visit to Princeton where they spoke to a class with Singer, toured the campus and had lunch. Each of these events paint a picture of who Singer is, who the author is, and the paradoxical exchange between them. The author brings their own perspective and voice to the writing by inserting further explanation regarding their positionality and beliefs, Singer’s beliefs and actions, and how the two clash/collide. Woven throughout the anecdotal evidence is commentary regarding how the author felt, the thoughts that came up for them, and reflections looking back.  

  1. 3 or more quotations (with page numbers) 

Regarding their differences: 
“To Singer, it’s pretty simple: disability makes a person “worse off”. Are we “worse off”? I don’t think so. Not in any meaningful sense” (McBryde Johnson pg. 10-11). 
“I define Singer’s kind of disability prejudice as an ultimate evil, and him a monster, then I must so define all who believe disabled lives are inherently worse off or that a without a certain kind of consciousness lacks value. That definition would make monsters of many of the people with whom I move on the sidewalks, do business, break bread, swap stories, and share the grunt work of local politics… I can’t live with a definition of ultimate evil that encompasses all of them” (McBryde Johnson pg. 26). 

Regarding non-normalizing:  
“…I have no more reason to kill myself than most people…” (McBryde Johnson pg. 7) 
“…to try to prevent most suicides while facilitating the suicides of the ill and disabled people is disability discrimination” (McBryde Johnson pg. 20) 

  1. A personal reflection naming 2 or 3 take-aways from the reading 

This was such an informative read. I think the way the author spoke about the opposition/togetherness between themselves and Singer was so digestible. They offered complex and deep ways of thinking through a story + analysis lens. I think the story itself was pretty bizarre. It’s one I’ve been sharing with my friends. We’ve been discussing it a bit: how can a person have such specific and seemingly impractical beliefs? How have they not been put in their place? Then again, folks support Trump.  

In reflecting, I am brought back to the idea that Black folks are not responsible for educating nonBlack folks about racism; womxn are not responsible for educating men about sexism. I don’t feel like the author is responsible for putting themselves through that sort of discrimination. But also, they chose that. I don’t know. Lots to think about.  

“Normal” is Bull Shit

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What is Disability Studies? And what questions do I have?  

Disability studies is broad, specific, academic, anecdotal, and intersectional; it transcends time. It aims to answer, what is it like to be disabled now? How it was being disabled in the past? How can we improve the world for disabled people moving forward? It is a study of people, places, things, and ideas. Disability studies does not exist in a vacuum; it cannot be seen through a narrow lens, but rather views the world holistically, centering disabled stories and lives. This field is far reaching. Disability studies is a study of race, sexuality, orientation, class, disability, privilege, rhetoric, design, language, limits and beyond. It offers a wider perspective of thinking and progressively looks to embrace and empower intersectional thinking.  

Disability theory is not an algorithmic equation. It cannot be memorized and regurgitated. It is a way of thinking and it’s for everyone. It is story-telling, listening, and amplifying. The way I have thought about it, it’s like putting glasses on your brain. Disability studies sees the world differently than churches, medical labs, and politics; and it acts accordingly.  

An interesting dilemma I am struck by is that I am learning about disability studies in a very ableist place. Higher education perpetrates all the “ism”s, both tangibly and intangibly.  

Disability studies seems to pose more questions than answers.

How, then, can we continue to open the floor for disabled voices in the classroom? How can teaching styles, floorplans, even temperatures be deconstructed to create a space suitable for the masses – including but not limited to disabled folks? How can we question our motives to ensure we aren’t studying out of pity or saviorism? How can we have open-ears but continue to be critical? How can we ensure our actions are not bandaid solutions? How can we actionably move toward a better world for disabled folks that gets at the core of mistreatment? How can we approach disability studies with a wide-reaching theory, while recognizing that disability is not a monolith? 

These questions are posed not to accuse, but to query. I think in the spirit of disability studies, I am called to push forward the spaces I take up. 

Critical thinking, based on our positionality is a huge part of disability studies. It challenges our learned understanding of “normal”. These learned understandings often come from a place of ableism, hierarchy, and individualism, and they must be broken down and unlearned. Because “normal” is bull shit. Disability studies supplies language, action, and conceptual reframing for learners to deconstruct ideas of “normal”. If there is no “normal,” which several authors have claimed thus far, how can we recognize difference? Eliminating “normal” can be misconstrued and create monoliths of understanding, which I am still grappling with. O’Toole, author of Celebrating Crip Bodyminds writes on the complexities normal and how we can balance deconstruction with recognition: 

“Acknowledging that there is no ‘normal’ doesn’t mean that everyone 
experiences disability as a political and social identity. Acknowledging that there is no 
‘normal’ creates a society where difference can be recognized without being diffused or ignored. It does not take away the culture of disability, only adds an opportunity and awareness for us to be more integrated into society as a whole” (O’Toole pg. 12) 

O’Toole mentions integration, which sparks yet another question. Integration can, in cases, lump folks in a way that does not appropriately observe difference. How, then can we acknowledge/recognize without diffuse/ignore?  

The questions keep on coming.

Sex, Beauty, and Disability  

Sex, attraction, and physical beauty are heavy concepts that carry personal and structural weight. Sex and beauty are vulnerable for nondisabled folks who don’t experience marginalization, so bringing in disability is a whole new can of worms. Sex and beauty are often tied closely with white supremacy, consumerism, and unrealistic standards. The rhetoric of the world tells us that disability equals abnormality and abnormality equals ugly. These structures are inherently false, but rampant. Margaret Shildrick wrote on sex and disability in Keywords of Disability Studies. They write about why disabled folks are sexually fetishized or erased, “… we might conclude that it is because sexuality is always a site of deep-seated anxieties about normative forms of embodied being” (Shildrick pg. 165). Shildrick emphasizes that the mistreatment of disabled people comes from projected insecurities. I would argue that those insecurities come from a greater structural standard. Woven throughout Disability Visibility are stories of beauty and sex within the disability community. Stories of lives shared between disabled lovers are portrayed in Sins Invalid as well, a documentary of a performance team in San Francisco. These two learning tools use creative story-telling to enlighten viewers of the multifaceted experiences of disabled people regarding beauty and sex.
 

Rhetoric of space and Crip Space   

As explained in Dolmage’s Disability Studies and Rhetoric, there are myths created about disability that stem from inaccurate rhetoric; rhetoric in the literary sense, rhetoric of space, rhetoric of politics, and rhetoric of economy and culture. The world has given us a language, a physical space, and a general understanding that is built on ableism.

The concept of “crip space” was introduced in Disability Visibility in the chapter The Beauty of Spaces Made for and by Disabled People. Crip spaces are environments that are constructed in a way that not only includes disabled bodyminds, but is centered around them. The concept of crip space is very rhetorical by nature. Spaces produce an ability or inability to exist for disabled people. If an office is on the top floor of a building that only has stair access, a wheelchair user cannot physically exist in that space. If a classroom is taught at the speed of a neurotypical person, that classroom has lost its value for someone who is mentally disabled. No one used their worlds to explicitly tell disabled folks they don’t belong in those spaces, but the spatial rhetoric produced a space in which disabled people cannot exist. s.e. smith argues, “this is precisely why they are needed: as long as claiming our own ground is treated as an act of hostility, we need our ground. We need the sense of community for disabled people created in crip space” (s.e. smith pg. 274).

Healing 

After skimming through my journal, I am struck with the reoccurring topic of healing. This came up several times at the beginning of the quarter. Medical, charitable, social, and cultural scopes of disability have different ideas of what healing looks like. I think the idea of “healing” requires some sort of sickness (something that must be cured). In understanding disability studies, the sickness (what must be cured) is ableism. When You’re Waiting to be Healed is a story that portrays this concept well. It is about a girl growing up in a religious family with Nystagmus. Her family prayed for her eyes to be healed from the “cursed abnormality”. She writes, “I was praying a lot, asking God to heal me so that I could have some sort of normality” (Eric-Udorie pg. 55). She was desperate for her eyes to be healed because the world around her told her that she was the problem. I would argue that disability studies sees our hierarchal culture as the problem.