Comments on: On Crossabling

by: Fiona

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:32:11 +0000

I have put together a brief survey looking at attitudes towards disability as part of my work about disability being a ‘positive’ experience and the regulation of normalcy. The survey is fully online and the link is below. No personal details are taken.

This survey is part of research around the concept of ableism and how ableism shapes not just our understandings of disability,but also difference, the concept of normalcy and deviancy. Specifically the survey data will be used to develop argument in a book
chapter concerned with the formation of subjectivity (identities) of people who have very marginal forms of difference (intersexed people, transabled people, and conjoined twins. All information will be dis-identified.The researcher herself is a person with
disability who teaches and undertakes research in the field of disability studies.

Here is the online link : http://fionakumaricampbell.googlepages.com/home there is a hyperlink to the survey.

by: Brigid

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:59:42 +0000

Hi there,

I am researching a potential documentary idea for Channel 4 on the subject of Body Identity Integrity Disorder. At the moment I’m trying to get hold of real sufferers of the disorder to get a well informed, heartfelt and compassionate portrayal of what it’s like to live with BIID. Would you be able to let me know if this is something you’d be willing to chat about on the phone - off record of course? Also, would be great to know if you’ve been approached by any other TV Companies.

Best Wishes,

Brigid

Juniper Television
London
t: +44 207 407 9292
f: +44 207 407 3940
www.junipertv.co.uk

by: legphotog

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:29:36 +0000

Hi, Robin,
I just found your blog. I want to say that i understand your feelings. I also think you’re pretty cool. Feel free to contact me if you would like. I’m mainly a devotee, but I do dabble in some of that which you describe.

by: Amy the Bunny

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:45:50 +0000

Im just feeling rather rather icky right now. And a large part of me feels too apathetic to make an blog posting. Perhaps a lot of people feel as I do right now. Just…overwhelmed. Right now I can not function in my life, make any decisions or proceed with my life, Im afraid to. It’s paralyzing, anxiety-attack inducing fear. Just the whole, I’ve tried really hard and in the end I just end up..failing.

Anyhow. This is less about me and why i’ve suddenly popped up out of the blue. And more about transabled stuffs. I admit, I’ve always felt more at ease and relaxed within interactions with disabled people at first. It always feels different at first when I interact with disabled people and people i percieve to be disabled, because it’s different, my brain doesn’t register it in some way that disabled people are no less intelligent or interesting than other people. That’s probably social conditioning and such though. Regardless, one thing usually is the same. That I feel more comfortable and accepted within this group of people. I don’t think I’d ever do transabled things, though some, I admit, I find fascination in. An interest to understand, and how can we really begin to understand those things, without first taking on the role? I don’t think we can without filling out the role adequately in a transabled manner. I think it’d be interesting to spend a day or two wheeling. Unbelievably tiring and frustrating at times, but interesting. Some days I wonder what it’d be like living without a particular limb. usually my left arm for some reason. But i’ve no desire to lose my left arm, nor any desire to simulate the effect. At least, I don’t think I do. Mainly because I don’t know how I’d really cope with losing a lot of typing speed, which would likely be an issue if i lose my left arm.

by: Kyla

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:41:42 +0000

Maybe it’s because we tend to be (of necessity) more open to the idea of exploring ourselves in a manner different from that dictated by our physical condition.

I’ve also experienced another phenomenon in the area of self-discovery: a very effective way for me to discover who (and what) I *am* (on many levels, not just TA), has been to explore a number of different interests, conditions, lifestyles, etc - and eliminate those which I am NOT.

Either/both of these could be related. Or they could just be random factoids.

by: Claire

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 03:24:45 +0000

When I was a kid, I was as much into blindness as I was wheelchairs, and I blindsimmed nearly every day. However, I kind of outgrew that, or something, and it is the desire to need a chair that always stayed with me. Even now, however, I ocassionally think about being blind, but don’t really want to be AT ALL. I have noticed one thing, though…I have never heard an amputee wannabe talk about blindness, only people who desire paralysis. Could be just that I haven’t talked to enough amp wannabes about it.

by: Mai

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:09:43 +0000

This is just a guess, but It may just be that using devices/pretending to be deaf and/or blind is a lot more common in general. I know two different people who will occasionally go around (though usually just at home/friends) with ear plugs on, just because they get sick of hearing every now and then. Even as a kid I would occasionally put a blindfold on and try to walk around my house. Being Deaf or Blind generally heightens your other senses, which can be interesting to people. You take that, and toss it in to a group of people that are comfortable with ’simming’ other disabilities, and it would make them more comfy practicing the former, I imagine.