Comments on: A Credo For Support

By: Respect, a Credo for Support | czblogging, sharing some thoughts

Respect, a Credo for Support | czblogging, sharing some thoughts — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:32:53 +0000

[…] YouTube Video by , statements by People First of San Luis Obispo on what some disabled people would like you to know. Very powerful! Found it on Amanda Baggs’ site. […]

By: lordalfredhenry

lordalfredhenry — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:20:16 +0000

That’s cool. I wish more people would hear something like this. I do remember a lesson I learned long ago about helping vs. assisting. A definition of the two are quite different from what the person giving the lesson was saying. I have always since then tried to “ask for assistance” instead of help. Help has implied doing things “for” me as if I couldn’t do anything for myself. (unless that’s the case). I also learned to ask to assist others and not to try to do everything “for” them. It’s like it says, “support”. I really liked the part about “don’t lead, [and some other stuff]”, instead “follow, support [and other stuff]” etc. Too many people want to lead and “control” IMHO. Thanks for posting this. Always nice to get a visual presentation.

By: laura

laura — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:34:05 +0000

Hi Amanda,

I tried to post this once and don’t know if it went through.

What email are you using now? I tried several monts ago emailing you at the two I knew of and never heard back, so I must have the wrong ones.

Thanks again for telling me about those cheap glasses. I got my eyes examined so am going to get some. How do you know if they will fit your face? I found one pair I really like (I am picky about wanting the height to be larger.) and am not sure if it will fit my face. I do know my pupillary distance.

Also what do you do so that people don’t tell you to “Take your sunglasses off.” Are yours the medium tint? That looked best to me!

I find that blue is most helpful for me on the computer and for reading, but I know that lens color doesn’t match that. Is there any specific order I should try the tints in?

By: laura

laura — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:29:50 +0000

Amanda, What email are you using now? I had tried to email you a few months ago using the 2 emails I knew of but never heard back on either one so I may have the wrong ones?
Thanks again for telling me where you got those cheap colored glasses from. I got my eyes checked so am going to order some there. I was able to get that pupillary distance measured too, and found two pair of glasses that look like I would really like them. (I am very picky about the height being greater. I couldn’t wear the new fashionable narrow height ones.) But, I don’t know how to know if they will fit my face as far as all those other measurements. How did you find ones that would fit???

Also, how did you explain to people the tint so that they didn’t think you were wearing sunglasses and just tell you to take them off?

Which tints did you try? I know blue works well for me on paper and computer, but am not sure for glasses.

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:06:28 +0000

Evonne: If you mentioned it, I just plain don’t remember. If you email me I will give you my address.

As far as defining personhood goes, that project, like a lot, is on hold indefinitely (actually has been on and off for years).

By: Evonne

Evonne — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:02:31 +0000

I’m quite certain I’ve heard “othering” before, in any number of intelligent forums. It can certainly apply anywhere there are implied categories of personhood (“Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one type of folks. Folks.”).

Something about the mechanism of video invites the viewer to get particularly close, and to “level” with the person on the screen, in a way that is more conducive to comfort — and in the spirit of communication, the viewer *wants* the person on the screen to convey a successful message. Good ol’ film language. I’m gaining more respect for that flippant Andy Warhol these days.

And speaking of voyeurism and comfort, Amanda, a few months back I mentioned my “Freaks I Love” project and offered to snail you a copy of the chapbook. You didn’t respond, and later I realized how stupid it was to ask for something so private as a home address from you, given your history with predators. I would still like to get you a hard copy, though, if there’s a less private way, like a P.O. box or something. Let me know.

And speaking of projects and personhood, Amanda, I demand progress on your “defining personhood” endeavor! (said the lady who assigned herself a project in syntax dissemblance and has yet to follow through . . .)

By: n.

n. — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:13:34 +0000

yeah i was gonna say "equity" too. i don't even know where i got the word "other-ing" from ... but whatever we call it, there is a power aspect involved in who gets to decide the categories of people. even in who gets to decide that there are categories of people.

By: Jane Meyerding

Jane Meyerding — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:20:15 +0000

t.comfyshoes wrote:
I’ve been trying to think about view-from-above and what it’s opposite could be, and like the people in the video were saying, it’s not charity. I’m wondering if the best way to describe it could be “solidarity”?

How about “equity”?

By: t. comfyshoes

t. comfyshoes — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:30:51 +0000

Been lurking here for a while, and I think I just had an eye-opening moment from this video, related to view-from-above – which I think is a much better term than “othering”, because “othering” sounds power-neutral whereas view-from-above makes it clear that there’s a power thing going on as well.

Anyway…

I’ve been trying to think about view-from-above and what it’s opposite could be, and like the people in the video were saying, it’s not charity. I’m wondering if the best way to describe it could be “solidarity”?

By: Ettina

Ettina — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:42:08 +0000

I was having bandwith problems and found leaving it paused for awhile and doing other things, giving it time to load, helped.