Disability Commentary
Disability observations, critiques, & discoveries

Hard core punk EP, “Cripplers” by This Is Hell.

Continue reading “Cripplers 7 inch” »

Opulent Mobility, an LA-based exhibition, brought extravagant, sumptuous, and somewhat outrageous mobility equipment into my world.

Continue reading “Sumptuous Wheelchairs?” »

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 […]

Continue reading “Wholesome? Sure, it’s about time” »

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. […]

Continue reading “Criperati? Works for me (in a tongue-in-cheek kinda way)” »

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 […]

Continue reading “Open Letter to My Disabled Brothers and Sisters: Hawking & “The Theory of Everything”” »

I was hanging out in the bar with a bunch of folks at SDS last June. One of the party innocently asked, “What do you guys think about the new access symbol business?” Even dead sober I couldn’t help but go on a rant. I knew I had been thinking about how I didn’t like […]

Continue reading “Access Symbol Works” »

Got an email from Risty Byce, a wheelchair using, rock ‘n’ roll drummer at I 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 […]

Continue reading “Heavy Metal & Wheelchair User” »

Has anyone noticed that the newly promoted, active accessibility symbol looks a lot like Good Willy?

Continue reading “Wow! Wheelchair racer!” »

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.

Continue reading “Crutches and Backpacks” »

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 and wheelchair.

Continue reading “Wheelchair Action Figures” »