91Èȱ¬

Don Schoendorfer, a mechanical engineer, watched a disabled Moroccan woman crawl across a dirt road 27 years ago. In 1999, having been haunted by the memory, he decided to do something about it and the was born.

As the site says: "The first step was to develop the least expensive wheelchair satisfying the greatest range of needs, and the second step was to dispense the wheelchairs
at no cost to the physically disabled poor in developing countries on a non-discriminatory basis."

Using simple low cost parts, Dan can currently deliver wheelchairs at around 24 pounds per unit. His vision is to deliver 20 million wheelchairs by the year 2010.

There is a huge amount of information on the site: the best place to start is probably the
. Also of interest are the -
over 130,000 wheelchairs have been delivered to 57 countries to date and the archives of what they call , are a great insight into what they achieve week by week. Last week it says they shipped one container to Bangladesh and four to India.

In an on ABC7 LA news, Schoendorfer said: "People who get these wheel chairs, they crawl or they're carried, typically their radius of life would be 10-15 feet, as far as someone can carry them"

He heard from one man in China who'd been confined to bed for 25 years and longed for something most take for granted. He told Don: "I can hear them out in the dining room and I've always wanted to go eat with them, I didn't want to be ungrateful because they take care of me ... for the first time I was able to have dinner with my family."

While we're vaguely on the subject of prosthetic limbs - see previous entry - if you've listened to this month's fabulous Ouch Podcast, you'll have heard presenter Mat Fraser mention the story of a New Zealand man who has been trying to on the net.

So far he's not had much luck. The first trading site he tried to flog it on refused him because they don't allow the sale of body parts. Then he advertised the sale on the radio, but the largest bid he received was only four thousand NZ dollars.

But the seller, Shane Torrance of Auckland, is considering that offer - the only problem being that he has been threatened with charges and a prison sentence if the sale goes ahead. In response, Torrance has argued that they can't put him behind bars for selling something which belongs to him.

Crippled Monkey wonders: if the case comes to court, will he have a leg to stand on? (I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it had to be done. I just couldn't resist.)

Crippled Monkey is feeling just a bit uncomfortable about a news story I've just discovered.

Here at Ouch, the stereotype of the brave disabled mountain-climber is a bit of a running gag, just like it is for many disabled people. Barely a week seems to go by now when there isn't another disabled adventurer making their way to the top of Mount Everest, That's why the story of New Zealand climber , who last week became the first ever double amputee to reach the Everest summit, didn't register much on our radar.

But there's another story behind Inglis' achievement, and it's a more . During the final push for the summit, Inglis passed a British climber, David Sharp, who was clearly dying from oxygen deprivation, but left him there on the side of the mountain. As of two days ago, Sharp's body remained on the mountain.

Inglis has defended his actions, saying: "Trouble is, at 8,500m it's extremely difficult to keep yourself alive, let alone anyone else alive." To be fair to him, he also points out that: "On that morning, over 40 people went past that young Brit. I was one of the first. We radioed [our expedition manager] who said, 'Look, you can't do anything. He's been there a number of hours, without oxygen. He's effectively dead'." Yet a medical scientist has been quoted as saying that if Sharp had been given oxygen by another climber, he could have "recovered up to 80 per cent of his capacity".

Apart from thinking that the critics who are currently condemning the excessive numbers of climbers now scaling Everest - and that includes those 'brave' disabled folk - might have a point, Crippled Monkey can't help thinking: would there have been ten times more controversy and outrage if the boot had been on the other (prosthetic) foot? What if Mark Inglis had been the one in trouble, and other climbers had passed him by? One thing's for certain - I'm just going to stick to leisurely walks for my brave and heroic deeds, thank you very much.

Have you heard of , the 1932 cult film directed by Tod Browning? It's all about circus sideshow performers - the 'freaks' of the title - such as conjoined twins, an hermaphrodite, short people, those with no arms or no limbs, to name but a few. The most memorable thing about the movie at the time it was released was that the characters were played by people who actually had those "deformities" (hey, that's the film's own description, not ours), rather than using costumes and make-up.

Those who have seen the movie never fail to have a strong opinion about it - whether they think it's a masterpiece of shock cinema, an important moment in the history of disability on film, or an outdated and hugely politically incorrect work that should be discarded to the dustbin of history.

Well, if you haven't seen Freaks, you've now got the chance to watch it online. The new Google Video service is offering it to view in its . You can also read the complete . Time to decide on this cult film for yourself. (Link via .)

Tonight, 91Èȱ¬ ONE's One Life series tells the story of the Holden family. 17 year old Tara has , a rare eye condition which means that she is registered blind. The only way her sight might be improved is through surgery, which involves the taking of stem sells from her mother's eye and placing them in Tara's. Tara is having second thoughts about the process and is unsure about regaining her vision.

Tara's older sister Terri has an underdeveloped jaw, caused by radiotherapy she received to treat cancer as a child. She too is going under the knife for a corrective procedure.

Tune in to 91Èȱ¬ ONE tonight at 10.40pm, to learn the full story.

Big Brother is becoming awash with disability links. First we had the entry of Pete, who has Tourette's syndrome, and then the exit of Shahbaz under the watchful eye of psychologists.

According to the website: "The 37-year-old Glaswegian was being watched by show psychologists after threatening to kill himself during his five days in the house."

The had already become concerned for the welfare of some housmates, and had composed a letter to Channel 4 stating their worries. In the letter, Andrew McCulloch, the charity's chief executive, said:

“We are concerned that vulnerable people apparently continue to be allowed into such a high-pressured environment that is the Big Brother house. This kind of programming can make individuals who are distressed a laughing stock and this will only seek to feed the discrimination that already impacts heavily on people suffering from mental illness."

are keen to point out that all contestants were "intensively screened by professionals" before entering the house.

Here at Ouch, we''ll be keeping our ear to the ground for any further Big Brother disability news, so watch this space ...

Jilly Cooper is best known as the writer of 'bonkbuster' novels the size of a small brick, which take place in amongst the posh horsey set. Not any more. Her new book is called Wicked! and not only does it take place in sleep suburbia and feature social problems a-plenty, but one of the characters, Feral Jackson (Feral? Feral??!!), has learning difficulties.

Er, unfortunately, according to in yesterday's Daily Telegraph, that's about all there is to be said for the novel. Oh dear.

But, well, y'know, if there are any Jilly Cooper fans amongst our readers, do feel free to report back to Crippled Monkey on the portrayal of this character.

We received this mail from Emma Rippon here at the 91Èȱ¬, and thought that you Ouch readers just might have an oppinion:

"My name is Emma Rippon, and I am a producer on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4's programme.
We would like to look at the whole issue of respite care for a programme on Tuesday June the 6th.

We would like to speak to as many people as possible about their experience of getting respite care for themselves or for a member of their family, so that we can present as accurate a view as possible and understand some of the difficulties and frustrations. If you are happy to have a chat on the phone then please email me (emma.rippon@bbc.co.uk) with your contact details and the best time to talk.

This would be in strictest confidence and would not oblige you to take part in the programme."

The organisers are looking for nominations for this year's awards in the following categories:

Éù Young people's television (a new category for this year)
Éù Television and radio news
Éù Television documentary
Éù Factual radio
Éù Single drama and drama serial
Éù Radio drama
Éù Soaps and drama series
Éù Survivor

The awards are described as

"...now in their 12th year, [they] recognise and celebrate the best portrayals of mental distress and reporting of mental health issues in the broadcast media. All the winning programmes successfully challenge the misinformation and stereotypes that surround mental health and, most importantly, include the voices of people who have experienced mental health problems.

"From dramas to documentaries; soaps to news items; young people’s television to raising awareness campaigns; local radio to digital TV - as long as the programme has been produced and transmitted on television or radio in the UK between 15th June 2005 - 14th June 2006 then it is eligible for the Mental Health Media Awards 2006."

You can find out whether the programme you want to nominate is eligible at . And once you've checked that out, you can make your nomination online .

Éù Visit .

Hey, did you hear the one about the man with two prosthetic legs who got into a brawl with a deaf bloke because the latter had difficulty communicating?

Think I'm joking? .

Hey guys, guys ... whatever happened to disability solidarity?

Nul points (what with Eurovision having taken place on Saturday night) to Lady Bracknell for never having realised that William Shatner, a.k.a. Star Trek's Captain Kirk, is Jewish.

Mr Shatner's current mission (possibly not a five year one, though) is to boldly go to Israel as part of the Jewish National Fund's efforts to raise $10 million for therapeutic riding centres, as reported in :

"One such center is located at Kibbutz Grofit. It offers psychological evaluations and therapy designed to meet the needs of physically, emotionally, and mentally handicapped children. The center, staffed by medical professionals and using horses, runs the length of the school year, September through July."

Shatner breeds horses himself, which presumably partly explains his interest in the project. He's also hoping to help create a dialogue between Israelis and Arabs. As he says, "What better way to create dialogue than by helping handicapped children from different countries feel good about themselves?"

Éù Visit .

If you receive 91Èȱ¬ South programmes, or have digital satellite, you'll be able to tune in to Sunday's The Politics Show and see half of the Ouch Podcast team (presenter Liz Carr and humble producer Damon Rose), as well as discussions on: the independent living bill, mainstream education for disabled pupils and other rights issues.

You can read more about the programme on the 91Èȱ¬ South .

Other guests include: Ian Loynes from , Simone Aspis from the , and Annette Brooke, Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and Poole.

Tune in to 91Èȱ¬ ONE in the South, or channel 984 on digital satellite wherever you are. The Politics Show starts at 12 noon, and the regional part of the show will be on at around 12.20pm.

With under 10 hours to go, speculation is mounting as to whether the new series of Big Brother will feature a disabled contestant.

Internet discussion forums such as the one at have been kicking around the idea for months that a wheelchair user could well be making it onto the seventh series of the reality game show, which starts tonight.

Then, as we reported earlier this week, 'Perfect' Peter Stephenson of Brighton glam rock band Daddy Fantastic might well be one of the contestants. Pete has Tourette's Syndrome. He also has a pole-dancing girlfriend - but we're focusing in on the disability part of him just at this moment, even though he's so much more than a disability-on-a-stick (that's our little half-hearted disclaimer for people who write in and say we "concentrate too much on people's disabilities". Well, duh, we're a disability website!)

Described by one website as Adam Ant-like with his flamboyant cross-dressing style, and others seem to be reporting his inclusion in the house as a dead cert ... as well as commenting on the size of his manhood and how much he enjoys sex. But we expect that.

Tourette's is a broad church. Pete, the unconfirmed BB7 contestant, is reported to have . That's the strain where tics involve uncontrollable swearing - the word derives from the Greek meaning 'dung breath'. Less than 20% of people with Tourette's have this, yet it remains the most well-known and talked about aspect of the impairment.

Alison Owens, helpline operator and mother of children with the disorder, has previously refused to be part of a fly-on-the-wall TV programme. She has some anxieties about Pete's portrayal and how he'll deal with the other housemates:

"I don't know how he'll cope. If he isn't the first to be voted out then he'll probably be kept in by viewers for the entertainment value. He may well get worked up and walk out anyway.

"I say good for him for putting himself forward, and if he's chosen then brilliant. I just hope he gets the same amount of respect in the coverage that would be given to people with Down's Syndrome, epilepsy or diabetes."

Tune in at 9.00pm tonight on Channel 4 to see if Big Brother really has chosen a disabled housemate.

And if Pete does appear ... come back to the Ouch blog and messageboard to tell us what you think.. The blog is open 24/7, whereas our messageboard closes at midnight.

What on earth is the ?

Well, it's all about web accessibility for people with communication disabilities - dyslexia, poor or partial vision, and visual stress. Launched at the start of May in a partnership between the and (the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators), and aims to raise awareness of the fact that businesses are currently missing out because nearly 20% of their customers can't use their inaccessible websites. They've also published their to make sites and marking communications accessible.

The Well Adjusted Campaign site has information on how you can , plus a special you can download to make reading on the web much, much easier. Worth checking out.

OK, so if you're an avid fan of , it's nearly time to cancel the rest of summer and sit in front of your telly 24 hours a day, because BB7 hits the country's TV screens this Thursday, 18 May.

Since Ouch started back in 2002, every year at about this time we get to debating whether there might be a disabled person entering the house for the next series. And every year, so far, the speculation has proved to be wrong. But what about 2006? Well, there are rumours circulating - mostly on unofficial forums and message boards, but which have now been picked up by some sections of the press - that one of the latest crop of housemates is a guy with Tourette's Syndrome.

Details seemed sketchy until yesterday, when newspaper revealed much more about the rumoured contestant. (Whether or not you choose to believe it is, of course, down to you). Under the headline I'm *I*I Pete - which Crippled Monkey thinks, though can't be sure, might be a hilarious reference to swearing - the People reveals that Peter, who is "afflicted" by Tourette's, is 24 years old and hails from Brighton, where he is the lead singer for "flamboyant glam-rock band ".

Of course, whether or not Peter has been brought into the house merely for shock value is ... oh, come on! This is Big Brother we're talking about! An unnamed source is quoted in the article as saying: "He has a foul mouth and is a loose cannon. He'll certainly add some fireworks to the house. It's tough to deal with someone who has Tourette's if you're not used to it, so the housemates will face their first challenge just getting used to him, and his swearing and abuse". Oh, and it's also worth mentioning that the glam-rock nature of Peter's band means that he dresses up in outlandish clothes - including wigs, women's blouses, tight trousers and animal prints - all of which he's being touted as "this year's Pete Burns" (the singer of Dead Or Alive who featured in the last celeb series of BB).

We'll bring you more about this story as and when we discover it - and we'll be glued to the telly on Thursday night in the hope of seeing the possible arrival of the first disabled Big Brother housemate. Until then, we'll just have to wait and see ...

Lady Bracknell, who is no longer young, is constantly astonished these days by the speed at which an entire year can rush by.

So she was surprised to realise that the time has come round once again to make nominations for the :

"The aim of the Positive Action Awards is to provide an opportunity for disabled people and carers to nominate employers, businesses, service providers or individuals that deserve recognition for promoting independence, delivering accessible and/or inclusive services, or maintaining exemplary employment practices for disabled people and/or carers. Anyone may submit nominations for the awards, and may nominate as many different people, companies and organisations as they wish. However, the people they nominate must be based in the Northwest of England."

Awards are presented to employers, service providers and individuals. A complete list of sub-categories is available .

Nominations - which close on Friday 4 August - can be made (although Lady Bracknell has a sneaking suspicion that the form might not be accessible to people with visual impairments). There's a space on the form for you to indicate whether, if your nominee is successful, you'd like to attend the awards ceremony and cheer them on. You wouldn't get any travelling expenses met by the organisers, but your meal would be provided free of charge. Each nominee is limited to a maximum of two nominators. Names will be drawn out of a hat if more than two people have nominated the same candidate.

So if you live in, or have visited, the North West, and you know a deserving individual or organisation in the area, don't forget to send your nomination/s in before the closing date.

Éù Visit .

Now I, Crippled Monkey, may not know much about art, but (as the saying goes), I know what I like. And what I like best is when a big artistic disagreement blows up.

London's is currently playing host to an exhibition entitled . This features the works of so-callled 'outsider artists', many of whom were affected by mental illness.

In Tuesday's edition of , art critic Richard Doment laid into the exhibition in no uncertain terms. His main criticism is that the exhibition presents the work of "the psychotic, the autistic, the criminally insane or the merely untrained" alongside that of mainstream artists: Dorment says that it is "objectionable ... to present the art of people with severe mental illness alongside the work of Francis Bacon, Joan Miró or Francis Picabia, and then to propose that there is no essential difference between the two, that both are simply different manifestations of modernity". He even goes so far as to claim that the show is "based on a false premise and proselytising for an evil idea". Blimey, there's a man who doesn't mince his words.

So in yesterday's , Jon Thompson, the co-curator of the exhibition, got his right to reply: "It is a common mistake to ally outsider art with that of the mentally ill: in reality, mental illness accounts for only a small proportion of it. It is also a mistake to draw a distinction between mainstream and outsider artists on the basis of 'training'".

It's an interesting debate, and worth checking out both articles in full, as well as from last Thursday's Guardian. If you've gone to the exhibition, or are planning to, let us know your opinion in the comments.

is a very visually impaired friendly national access guide. By making a couple of simple choices, you can find out easily whether a pub in your area is accessible to a wheelchair user, whether a cinema can offer a hearing loop, whether a hotel offers adapted rooms, and if a restaurant offers menus in large print or Braille.

The site promises to research every venue in person and on site, and involve disabled people from start to finish.

Greg Burke, the founder of DisabledGo, is a wheelchair user himself.

"DisabledGo was founded to empower disabled people to judge for themselves which venues are suitable for their own individual needs.

"It's about putting the control where it should have always been - with disabled people themselves."

The site is supported by Marks & Spencer.

There was an article in yesterday's Guardian about a phenomenon that will be familiar to any Ouch readers who regularly go to gigs - that between the moment when the roadies leave the stage having set up the band's quipment, and the moment when the band finally deigns to turn up on stage with a cry of "ALRIGHT WEM-BER-LEE! ARE YOU READY TO RAWK?!" Or something. The article suggests a few reason for this standard pause in proceedings, including one story involving , the US group who have been performing soul/gospel music for over 60 years, having formed at an institute for the blind in Alabama in 1939:

"The Blind Boys of Alabama - being blind - walk in crocodile formation, one hand on the shoulder of the brother in front. At one British venue, they were given a green room at stage level to save them walking far. As they were about to go on stage, one of them decided he wanted to go to the toilet. They agreed it would be best in the circumstances if they all went to the toilet. But the nearest toilet by now was at the side of the auditorium. So the first view the audience got of the Blind Boys of Alabama was not of them walking on to the stage, but instead groping along the wall of the stalls in formation, disappearing one by one into the gents."

So what do you reckon? True story or urban myth?

A partnership lead by present This is a one day music and arts festival, due to take place in Camberwell Green, celebrating madness, creativity and eccentricity.

The Mayor of Southwark will launch BonkersFest! at noon on Saturday 3 June by firing a banana-filled cannon. This will be followed by live music in a big top, a carousel, art installations, talking lamp-posts, whispering trees, gossiping fence posts, a large drum jam, dramatics by Creative Routes and the Young Vic Theatre, jugglers and an alternative Punch and Judy.

We've blogged about Creative Routes in the past, so if you're interested, go along and check out what all the fuss is about.

Remember Rod Liddle, the Sunday Times writer who caused uproar amongst disabled people last September (not least on Ouch's messageboard) when he offered his on the then newly-unveiled statue of Alison Lapper Pregnant in Trafalgar Square by criticising the very idea that we should want to look upon such a work of art? At the time, he concluded his diatribe with the following words:

"I do not like the statue of Lapper in Trafalgar Square. Not because, as some critics have argued, it is a poor work of art by Marc Quinn; 'slimy' and 'machine made'. I do not like it because I do not wish to revel in disability. I do not think disability is something that deserves a 'tribute'."

Yes, you remember him now, don't you? He's difficult to forget. Well, the good (?) news is that, this weekend, he was back on his favourite subject - us. This time, it was under the guise of the new Dans Le Noir restaurant in London, the place where diners eat in the dark and are served by blind staff.

Now, considering that the article appears in the newspaper's Table Talk section, you'd think Mr Liddle's review would offer some opinion about the restaurant - the food, the service, the ambience. And it does. Basically, he doesn't like any of it. Fine. That's his opinion. But in between these comments, Rod Liddle can't resist sharing his views on blind people, just as he did about physically disabled people in his earlier article. He concludes with these words:

"In all, I did not enjoy empathising with blind people. Nor did I expect to. Perhaps, though, you are not meant to enjoy the experience. Perhaps you are merely intended to leave the restaurant a little wiser and a little humbler ... Meanwhile, I will soon be setting up a restaurant where the diners are encased in straitjackets and the waiters are all amputees."

Crippled Monkey won't be inviting Rod round for dinner any time soon, that's for certain.

If you've ever thought that models of disability should be left to the academics because they're too confusing for the average crip on the street, or that they don't have any relevance to your own life, might change your mind.

Helping the Handicapped is a series of slides designed by British disabled artist Ju Gosling. The slides, illustrated with photos of dolls, break the major sociological disability models down to their most basic components. This technique makes the differences between the models very clear.

Before rushing headlong to condemn the use of the dreaded 'h' word in the title, you might want to read the Ju delivered to accompany the slides, in which she explains exactly why she chose it.

Éù Visit .

Caroline Parker is taking her hugely successful play, Signs of a Diva, on a UK tour.

The story tells of Tammy and her struggle to make a life-changing decision with the help of some friends, and the performance of classic anthems from divas through the decades. Through signing, Caroline translates and interprets the lyrics that have touched generations of hearing people and brings them to a deaf audience. All performances feature captioned dialogue and signed songs.

Go to the site for further information and London tour dates. And check out for a review of the show and details of further dates country-wide.

Lady Bracknell was regularly scouring the interwebnet for disability-related news items long before Crippled Monkey snatched her up to help him with his blogging responsibilities.

In all that time, she has never - until today - seen an article on a business site about bipolar disorder and employment. There are, of course, a number of specialist mental health organisations who produce materials on employment, but to see something of this nature on a site like is both strikingly unusual and, surely, a cause for celebration.

Written by Scott Reeves, one of Forbes.com's personal finance editors, explains what bipolar disorder is; examines the pros and cons of declaring the condition to one's employer; and makes sensible suggestions about possible reasonable accommodations which employers might consider making. ("Reasonable accommodations" are the US equivalent, under the ADA, of our UK "reasonable adjustments", under the DDA.)

Lady Bracknell might add at this juncture that she once met a woman with bipolar disorder whose reasonable adjustment was to be permitted to take her little dog into work with her because his constant affection and loyalty helped with her mood swings.

There's even a link from the article to a little slideshow intended to guide you through the process of deciding when, and whether, to declare, and to whom.

Éù Visit .

Yesterday, Ouch's inbox was flooded with distressed emails from visually impaired fans of hit drama Lost. The second series premiered on Channel 4 Tuesday night ... but without audio description!

All 24 episodes of series 1 had been described, so blind fans felt extremely let down when, at 10 o'clock, the show came on with no extra audio narrative! A decision had been made by 4 not to add Audio Description this time round, meaning that blind and partially sighted fans couldn't find out what was behind the hatch or exactly what had happened to the escapees on the raft. A further cliff-hanger, if you like!

Good news though is that Channel 4 have reversed their decision as a result of the number of calls and emails received. Lost will now get the AD treatment starting with the repeats this weekend.

The episodes that weren't described on Tuesday will be described this weekend on E4 and Channel 4 too.

On E4 this Saturday at 10pm and 11pm, you can see episodes 1 and 2 back to back. You can see these again on Channel 4 itself from 6pm on Sunday.

E4 will be showing episode 3 (if you'd flicked over at midnight on Tuesday you would have seen it) with audio description at 10pm on Sunday night, as part of their Second Chance Sunday sequence.

So there you go. Big media organisations do listen. Bad original decision, but what a speedy recovery.

If you want any more details on Audio Description, what it is, how to get it, theatre cinema and TV too, check out our big meaty Audio Description guide.

, the UK's leading theatre company working with learning disabled artists, returns to arts centre in London with a brand new production. On the Verge, An American Odyssey is a unique new show charting the epic voyage of a man, a Harley and the legendary Route 66.

In this hour long show, Jez Colborne, a versatile and talented learning disabled performer, tells us what happened when he rode pillion on a Harley down Route 66 to discover America. He shares his experiences through film of the road trip along with interviews with people he met on the way. Anecdotes and original music inspired by his journey complete the telling of this story of a once in a lifetime trip.

The show will be performed on Friday 12 May at 2.00pm and 8.00pm, both BSL interpreted, and Saturday 13 May at 8.00pm.

For bookings, call the Jacksons Lane box office on 020 8341 4421, or click this link to email them.

Disability charity recently launched an online survey entitled as part of their campaign. They're looking for as many parents of disabled children as possible to fill in the survey in order to find out about their experiences of choosing a school for their child, and the factors that shape their decisions.

To complete the survey, go to - although you can also get it in alternative formats such as Word and pdf by emailing Emily Wooster at Scope, or calling her on 020 7619 7260.

Could high school pupils in Texas possibly be claiming to have learning disabilities in order to get extended time to complete tests? According to an article on , yes, they could.

Catherine Mallette discovered what was happening when her own son asked to be tested for learning disabilities. After some research, she learned that her son's private high school had some 20 per cent of pupils who claimed to have learning difficulties - way above the national average of 1.2 per cent.

While she doesn't deny that some kids really do have learning disabilities and deserve the extra time to complete their tests, she also observes that: "it seemed like a clear case of misguided parenting, and yet another example of the over-the-top zeal of parents to get their kids into the "right" colleges. Extended time may be one way to give your kid an advantage over other kids ..."

Yesterday's (BADD) looks to have been a tremendous success, with well over 100 sites from across the blogosphere taking part. All hail for coming up with the idea, and then ensuring - with assistance from Ouch's very own - that the whole event ran so smoothly.

As for Monkey, I spent the day in front of my computer monitor going square-eyed through excessive blog-reading. It's impossible to mention every BADD entry here, but these are just a few of the ones I spotted,

Éù
"I was reminded of the often experienced mixed societal messages you get if you have a severe disability: sometimes you have to prove that you're sooooooooooooo disabled, and other times, it's, 'Oh, the power wheelchair? I was just feeling a little tired today ...'"

Éù
"Cripple, Crip, Spastic, Spacker, Mong ... All words I use now, I know, terribly un-PC, offensive even. About 3 months ago I had some right on person try to lecture me for calling myself those names after my leg gave way in Tesco and I ended sprawled on the floor."

Éù
"[Disablism is] about most non-disabled people reading this thinking smugly that they'd never do anything like that to me. If that were true, I'd never have to stand up on public transport."

Éù
"Mental illness and violence are different things. Using the same words to describe both, or borrowing a word from one to use to discuss the other all do an incredible disservice to the 1 in 4 people in Britain who will experience mental distress at some point in their life."

Éù
"Add me to the list of disgruntled blind chicks. Add me to the list of disgruntled queer blind Jewish first-generation American working class white post-graduate entry-level yuppies who can't go into a group meeting or space 'for all' without turning every head in the room (and not in that hot, kinky sort of a way)."

Éù
"Dialogue. We need to have dialogue. Simple, respectful interchanges between everyday people. People who aren't ashamed or stressed out by the disabling condition they live with. People who are willing to train their children (and themselves) that people who look or act different are not circus side shows."

Éù
"I will never forget the first time my daughter was discriminated against because of her disability. She was only 18 months old. I remember feeling stunned and shocked and in disbelief at such ignorance."

Éù
"... with the rise of inclusive education maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our future generation is being educated together and we must stand up and challenge those who shout that there is no place for disabled children in mainstream education."

Éù
"'First we'll deal with homophobia /sexism / transphobia / racism, then we'll deal with ableism.' I don't have time to wait for you. You don't either, actually. You'll wake up one day, probably a lot older but maybe sooner than you think, and something about your body won't be working the way it was the day before. And then you'll wish you said something about that broken elevator or flight of stairs that lead to someplace you need to be."

So that was Blogging Against Disablism Day. Same time next year, everyone?

Updated: herself has sent through some recommended entries worth checking out. posted about the autism community; looked at disablism in literature; wrote about access to various forms of media for blind, deaf and deafblind Germans; wrote about how true equality means not always being nice to people; and came up with a very funny post about 'people first' language. Oh, and last but by no means least, BADD's very own celebrity endorsement: a post by comedian Richard Herring on his blog.

It's Monday 1 May - a Bank Holiday (well, OK, for some of us) - so you've got no excuse for not taking part in !

Today, well over a hundred disabled and non-disabled bloggers will be posting about disablism, whether that's their own experiences of it or their thoughts on the subject. The place to start is, of course, the blog where the idea for BADD began - . Go there, and you'll find the list of all the blogs taking part, so that you can begin your surfing of the blogosphere and read all the great stuff that will be posted during the day. And even now, it's not to late to add your own post about disablism if you haven't officially signed up.

Blogging Against Disablism Day looks like it's going to be a huge success, thanks to the number of people taking part, and it's great to see the blogging community doing something like this. So Monkey's off to spend the rest of Monday reading all the entries ... and I hope you will be too.