Disability Thinking Weekday: 12/3/24
Losing an advocate, rethinking a disability, and playing a disabled part
Three disability-related links for Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
1. A disability policy champion’s time in Congress has come to an end
Sara Luterman, The 19th - November 22, 2024
“Casey was best known as a “mild mannered,” even “boring” moderate. (A Philadelphia Inquirer columnist once compared him to a bowl of oatmeal.) Less well known is that Casey was instrumental in passing multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation — an increasing rarity — to advance the rights and well-being of people with disabilities.”
There are too many passages in this article that could be quoted. And Sara Luterman’s piece is more than just an retrospective and appreciation of Sen. Bob Casey’s work on disability issues. Without losing focus on Casey himself, the piece explains a lot of what has happened and mattered most in disability policy work over the last decade or so. And it highlights some of the best ways almost any elected official can, if they really want to, truly serve people with disabilities. It is well worth reading the whole thing.
2. Why one expert says it’s time to redefine cerebral palsy
Eric Blakemore, Washington Post - November 30, 2024
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently refers to CP as “the most common motor disability in childhood.” … But focusing the majority of work on early detection and treatment has skewed awareness of the permanent nature of the disability, Peterson writes. He says it has led to a dearth of data on adults living with cerebral palsy and fosters a misperception that CP occurs only in children.”
I was vaguely aware that many adults with cerebral palsy feel that there is too much emphasis on CP in childhood, and neglect of what adults with CP deal with. But I didn’t know that it was still this much of a problem, or that one of the roots of it is how medical professionals and institutions define CP. I wonder if this perceptual difference is unique to cerebral palsy, or if there are similar problems of age stereotyping and for other lifelong disabilities, like Down Syndrome?
3. Wheelchair User Marissa Bode Plays Nessarose in Wicked Blockbuster
Teal Sherer, New Mobility - November 19, 2024
“Wicked is one of the most beloved musicals of our time, but many disabled actors have been bothered by the fact that they have been left out of the casting for a wheelchair-using character. While Nessarose uses a wheelchair in the Tony-Award-winning musical, eventually she can walk when her sister Elphaba casts a spell on her shoes. Now, in the major motion picture adaptation of Wicked premiering this Friday, Marissa Bode becomes the first wheelchair user to play Nessarose.”
I am not a longtime fan of Wicked. I know it’s part of the Wizard of Oz fictional universe. And I know one or two of the songs from the musical. But I’m interested in disability depictions in popular culture, especially when disabled characters are played by disabled actors. So I’ll be making an effort to see this new film version of Wicked. I would be interested in hearing what actual Wicked fans think about it, including how the disabled character Nessarose’s story plays out.
Disability Thinking Weekday is moving!
As explained in the December 2 newsletter, we are moving from Substack to Ghost on January 1, 2025. And to make the transition smoother and more financially feasible, I’ve set the annual paid membership fee at $40 for December and January. Renewing or signing up for a paid membership now would be a big help in covering the initial Ghost platform publisher and transfer fees. I truly appreciate your support!