You have more power to achieve the changes you are after than you think. Not as much as you might like. But more than you realize. The trick is to claim it. And not let the boundaries of that power … Read More
Lessons from the World of Disabilities
Yaniv Janson is Changing the World One Painting at a Time
“I wonder what they think about climate change?” That question contained the most compelling vision of inclusion I have ever encountered. It was offered by a speaker in Scotland a number of years back. She asked us to imagine a … Read More
Intellectual Imperialism and the Vocabulary of Harm
The headline of a recent Medium post, “The Age of the Imbecile” caught me at a bad time. I’m immersed in examining the harmful impact of words on people who experience a disability. “Imbecile” is one of the terms developed … Read More
White Men Can’t Jump and People with Disabilities Can’t Act
Dear readers – you may have noticed that recently I slyly inserted a second weekly post. It is distributed, like this one, every Monday evening. They are excerpts from a new book I’m writing. The book, not yet named, will … Read More
Cultural Transformation one (Baby Gerber) Step at a Time
Lucas Warren, the current Gerber baby, is delighting mainstream and social media. Of course he’s cute. And deserves all the oohs and ahs he is getting. The big deal is that he has down syndrome. Which to some people should … Read More
Eyes Wide Shut – Carmen Papalia’s Guide to Democracy
Vancouver artist Carmen Papalia’s adventures in darkness refreshes the practice of democracy. And illustrates yet again the depth of wisdom within the world of disability. His views on agency and accessibility are influencing art galleries around the world, including the … Read More
“Saving” Ryan
Montreal born animator Ryan Larkin had a couple of brushes with Hollywood. Which is not surprising for someone once described as the Frank Zappa of animation. The first brush was for his 1970 Oscar-nominated film Walking. The second was for … Read More
You can Learn a lot about SociaI Innovation by paying attention to the World of Disability
It is no surprise innovations abound in the world of disability. They comprise the largest minority group in the world, 1.2 Billion. When you factor in parents, siblings, other relatives as well as friends and caring professionals the minority tilts … Read More
Words – A Matter of Love and Death
Words are fascinating. They convey both meaning and misunderstanding. The more exact their meaning the more useful they are. The Inuit people who live in Northern Canada, for example, have at least 50 words for snow and ice. They have … Read More
Artists Aren’t Ahead of Their Time
Alchemy is on full display in King Arthur’s Night a brand new theatre production conceived by actor Niall McNeil. And co-written by him and Marcus Youssef an award-winning playwright and actor. And what a swirl of desires, darkness, wit and whimsy … Read More