Maria Scharnke

Idol Talk? In the Image of the Disabled God Disability, the Imago Dei and Practical Consequences Join us for a discussion taking up the Synod on Synodality’s recent invitation to deeper theological reflection on disability, human dignity and the Incarnation.

Oh, I forgot to say here! I'm speaking at www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/ev... #DisabilityTheology conference in May! In person and online sign-ups close on 14 May, and financial assistance is available.

Teen Parliament Speech: SA Parliament House On Friday I presented a speech at Parliament House. My speech was about creating an Autism and Neurodiversity Academy of Excellence to train teachers. I felt nervous and excited. I am so proud of myse...

"I am a 15-year-old non-speaking Autistic with ADHD, Apraxia, Developmental Coordination Disorder, Scoliosis & Pectus Carinatum. My life is hard, but it could be easier if my policy idea was adopted for me & other Autistics." -Patrick Saunders, to Parliament:

www.thestoryspeller.com/post/teen-pa...

"[...] our lives are so easily forgotten, ignored and excluded. When we are alive, we have to fight for recognition and in death our lives are cast in stereotypes and clichés that robs us of our innate humanity."

#DisabilityDayOfMourning

I don't feel guilty about that. My brain is trying to protect me. It knows I was almost on those lists.
But it still hurts in its own way to not be a part of the vigils. For all of us, to all of us, who want to and cannot: we can remember our people whenever we remember.
It's not one out of 365.

Every year I forget about #DisabilityDayofMourning. I remember it the next day, today, when it's over in this part of the world and I see the memorials.
I remember our people every day but I never remember to do it with community on the one day about that.

I use TD Snap. I have previously used CoughDrop. It is a great pity that TD Snap has moved to a subscription-only model - I was fortunate to be able purchase a lifetime license before the switch.
(Paying at all for my voice I dislike ethically, of course, but needs must.)

"We are calling for the Government to honour its commitment to genuinely co-design reforms with the disability community and for a more careful, well-paced process which will lead to better, fairer and more effective reforms."

By 'help to communicate' I mean things like reading out what somebody says with a letterboard.

I also mean things like 'translating' home sign.

Home sign means signs that people use to communicate, and that aren't a part of a formal sign language.

Some AAC users have people who help them communicate.

Some AAC users communicate on their own.

Some AAC users (like me) sometimes have help to communicate and sometimes communicate on their own.

Some AAC users have an intellectual disability.

Some AAC users do not have an intellectual disability.

Using AAC doesn't mean somebody has or doesn't have an intellectual disability.

Some AAC users (like me) want to participate in civil life. By 'participate in civil life' I mean doing things like voting, talking about politics, and attending protests.

I have used AAC in Parliament House. I have used AAC in other 'official' settings. This is my right.

AAC users need to talk about things they don't like. This is important for our safety (like saying when we are being hurt) and it is also a human right.

AAC users have the right to talk about politics.

Politics affects AAC users.

AAC users are sometimes in dangerous situations.

AAC users sometimes need to speak to law enforcement officials.

AAC users are not all white.

AAC users are not all children.

Some AAC users can't use big words.

Some AAC users can't ever use any spoken language.

This is okay as well.

People who can't use big words and people who can't use any spoken language have the same human rights to communication as everyone else.

This includes the right to freedom of expression.

Some AAC users (like me) can sometimes talk with their mouths in spoken language, and sometimes can't.

Some AAC users can always talk with their mouths in spoken language, but choose not to because speaking with their mouth hurts a lot, or is very tiring.

This is okay. Anyone can use AAC.

AAC users can talk about important things.

AAC users can talk about dangerous things.

AAC users can say things that not everybody agrees with.

AAC users have the same right to freedom of expression as everybody else.

By 'communicating without symbols,' I mean things like typing letters on a keyboard or with eyegaze.

I also mean things like talking with mouths in spoken languages and hands in signed languages.

Communicating with symbol AAC is not automatically "inferior" or "worse" than communicating without symbols.

Some AAC users (like me) can type on a non-symbol keyboard sometimes and not always.

AAC can be a print-out of pictures.

AAC can be a communication device. A communication device can be a specialized device like a TD I-16. It can also be a (much less expensive) "general" device like an iPad.

Due to recent event in life, realize evidently world need more "AAC 101" information.
Have some here. (This is a thread.)

Some AAC users (like me) can use big words.

Some AAC users (like me) are literate and use symbol-based AAC anyway.

Excellent news - Autism Speaks Canada will be ceasing operations on January 31, 2025!
www.autismspeaks.ca/autism-speak...

No, thanks. I walked away.

If you're seeing encouragement/demands to do alt text and you're overwhelmed or confused about how to do it and you're worried you're going to do it wrong...

this thread is for you.

First: prompt questions to get you started.

And this is why I learned to make it clear that talking about ableist language isn't about lists of no-no words. It's about pointing out how and why ableist language is part of ableism.

It's not about "this word hurts my feelings". It's "this language conveys ableist ideas and is harmful".

Maybe this is wishful thinking, but it would be nice if the Disability Support Pension would align with the national minimum wage, rather than, y'know, 55% of it.

Here's a pretty easy way to know if you're doing brain-based ableism (e.g. sanism, intellectual ableism) with your words:

Do your words imply that someone's bad behavior or opinion is because of a brain-based illness or deficiency (as opposed to being a choice or value)?

That's probably ableism.

OFFICIAL RELEASE: Star Trek and Disability; Volume 1 - The Trouble With Cripples. A short zine made by disabled academics critiquing the utopian vision of Star Trek—FREE to read here:
files.libcom.org/files/2024-1...
OR linktr.ee/disabilityark

Will there be a recording or a transcript available, or any other aspect of your presentation (eg, slides) available upon request?

@cytochrome-sea.bsky.social & @sfdirewolf.bsky.social are AAC users!

Oh, good! Self was working on that but you have it.